Shove Me in to Shallow Waters
by K8Malloy
Summary: A/U The summer before senior year Kurt receives notification that he must pass the school district's mandatory swim test in order to earn his diploma. A childhood trauma has kept him out of the water until now. Enter Blaine Anderson, Lima Parks and Recreation lifeguard and swim instructor. When it comes to unknown waters, is it best to tip toe in, or take a running leap?
1. Prologue: Slippery Rocks

_Prologue: Slippery Rocks_

To: Kurt Hummel

c/o Mr. Burt Hummel

Dear McKinley Student:

This is your notification that you have not met the swim proficiency requirement mandated by the Ohio Board of Education and the Lima Unified School District.

This requirement must be met in order to receive a high school diploma.

Swimming tests will be offered at the McKinley High School swimming pool from 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, August 18th or Thursday, September 8th.

To reserve a time to be tested, contact Anthony Jackson, P.E. Department Chair at 555-0914 ext. 810 or by email at ajackson . Time slots will be reserved on a first come, first served basis. You must reserve a time slot to be tested. No walk-ins will be allowed.

Students must provide their own swimsuit and towel. Goggles may be used but may not cover the nose.

The swim proficiency evaluation will consist of the following elements:

Swim 3 lengths (25 yards each) of the pool. Students may rest for a period of 2 minutes maximum between pool lengths.

Each length must be swum in a different stroke.

Swim strokes to choose from are:

i. Backstroke

ii. Elementary Backstroke

iii. Breaststroke

iv. Butterfly

v. Sidestroke

vi. Freestyle (crawl)

2. Each student must be able to tread water in the deep end of the pool for 5 consecutive minutes.

Please make arrangements to complete this requirement as soon as possible. Failure to do so will jeopardize your ability to graduate on time with your class.

Sincerely,

Principal Figgins

Superintendent Payton


	2. Chapter One: Shove Me

_Chapter One: Shove Me_

It had taken the real threat of losing his Navigator for the entire summer to motivate Kurt Hummel to get into the truck with his father in order to drive down to the local swimming pool to sign up for lessons. Burt Hummel loved his son. He understood Kurt was terrified of the water. He understood where this fear came from. But the bottom line was clear. Without passing the district swim test, Kurt wouldn't be able to earn a high school diploma. No diploma meant not attending university. Not attending university meant Kurt would be stuck in Ohio where realizing his dreams would be impossible.

So five days into summer vacation, Burt walked up the sidewalk towards the pool office, where the director of Lima's Parks and Recreation services informed him the pool manager would be happy to assist them in finding the appropriate class for Kurt. He'd phoned the previous day and made an appointment. Pulling first one, and then the second glass door open, Burt gestured for Kurt to go ahead of him. He noted sadly that Kurt's gaze never left the ground.

The first thing that struck Burt was the overpowering odor of chlorine, despite the pool being located outside. Enclosed in the middle school's physical education building, the cramped office showed the ragged effects of the passage of moving 1200 children daily through its concrete walls during the 180 day school year. Broken floor tiles. A coffee stained ceiling clearly indicating a faulty roof. An avocado green counter stretching across the room. Behind the counter, a dividing wall that fell several feet short of the ceiling blocked the view of the rest of the office and the pool.

Voices could be heard from the other side of the pony wall.

"Where are the frozen grapes?"

"Those are my frozen grapes, Duvall."

"But Becca, they're soooo good."

"I don't care. Bring your own snacks."

"But you shared with Blaine yesterday."

"She likes me better."

"It's true. I do."

"That's not fair."

"Life's not fair, Jeff. If life were fair, this would be a fairy tale. I would live in a castle with a moat with an alligator named Al swimming in said moat. Best I have is a goldfish. A goldfish with no name."

"Nemo?"

"Moby?"

"Flounder?"

"We are NOT naming my goldfish. You three are going outside to take your lunch break. I have an appointment coming in any time now."

"Bec, I think someone came in the school entrance a minute ago."

"And you didn't think to tell me that? That's probably my appointment." The same voice called out louder, "I'll be right with you."

"Well, the grapes were calling to me"

"Outside. Now."

"But-"

"Becca-"

"Now."

The noise of a door clanking shut came just as a young brunette woman rounded the dividing wall. Hair pulled up in a high ponytail, she was decked out in the stereotypical lifeguarding uniform: red one-piece tank swimsuit, red shorts, red zip up sweatshirt, and red flip flop shoes. Her silver whistle hung on a cord from her neck. She greeted both Burt and Kurt with a warm smile. "Mr. Hummel?"

Clearing his throat, Burt simply nodded while removing his ever present ball cap.

Extending her hand, the young woman shook Burt's hand firmly. "I'm Rebecca Michaels, the pool director. I apologize for keeping you waiting. We just cleared the pool from our morning lessons and the boys didn't mention hearing you come in. I hope you didn't wait too long. You mentioned on the phone that you were interested in enrolling your son in swim lessons?" Pulling out a large white binder from under the counter, she began flipping through the pages.

Burt glanced over to Kurt before looking back to Rebecca. "Yeah. Kurt and I got notification a couple of weeks ago that he needs to pass a swim test to graduate. He doesn't know how to swim. So we decided that this is his summer project. Learning to swim," came Burt's soft explanation.

Rebecca glanced up from the binder to meet Kurt's timid gaze. "You're Kurt," she stated. Seeing his nod of confirmation, she continued. "McKinley? Carmel? Thurston?"

"I go to McKinley," he answered quietly.

"And you graduate next June?" she asked.

"Um, yeah. If everything goes the way it's supposed to," acknowledged Kurt.

"Excellent." Rebecca passed a series of papers over to Burt. "This is a schedule of the classes offered through Lima's Parks and Rec. Also, you have an enrollment form and a waiver of liability. I've also included the paper work for private lessons, which we can talk about while we're going over all of this."

Turning her attention back to Kurt, she took a deep breath. "So, Kurt, I need to know about your swimming skills so I can find the best fit for you. So please be honest with me."

Burt watched Kurt roll his eyes. "I don't have any swimming skills. I can't swim. It's kinda why I'm here," Kurt scoffed.

Rebecca chose to ignore his condescending tone. "Riiight. I am aware of that. It's something that your dad mentioned when we spoke on the phone yesterday," she returned with a tone that clearly implied that she wasn't going to take any snark from the teen. "When was the last time you were in a swimming pool?"

Kurt swallowed hard, which did not go unnoticed by either Burt or Rebecca. "I was six."

Cocking her head to the side, Rebecca studied Kurt closely. "What about P.E.? I know they have swimming units in all the P.E. classes at the local high schools? You didn't use a pool then?"

"No," came Kurt's swift reply. "I refused to get into the pool. I failed the swimming units in freshman and sophomore year – but I worked hard the rest of the time, so I managed to pass the classes anyway."

"Okay. If we were to go out to the pool here…" Rebecca hesitated, observing that just the thought of going into the pool caused Kurt to lose the color in his face. His hands actually began to shake slightly. She reached across the counter and placed her hand over his. "If we were to go out to the pool, would you feel comfortable holding your breath and sitting on the bottom of the shallow end? It's four feet deep there, by the way. You would be waist deep if you were standing."

"Um…n. really. No."

"That's fine, Kurt. So you also wouldn't feel comfortable going out and putting your face in the water and blowing bubbles?"

Kurt shook his head tightly. "No. No, I wouldn't feel comfortable doing that."

Rebecca took her hand back and turned to Burt. "Mr. Hummel? I'm going to give you several options and then you and Kurt can discuss what you think will work best privately. Our classes offered through Lima Parks and Recreation are structured into small groups by ability level. We offer classes for adults. The problem… I'm sorry that was the wrong choice of words. The difficulty we face with Kurt is that even those adults all have some basic swim skills. They can hold their breath. Go underwater. Most can front and back float."

Rebecca ducked down below the counter for a moment, reappearing with another paper in her hand. "Here," she continued. "This is a list of the descriptors of our swim levels. What the student will be able to accomplish before moving up to the next level. Given Kurt's answers to my questions, he qualifies as a "water adjustment" swimmer – meaning that the swim teacher would work primarily on making the swimmer comfortable in the water. Once the students are comfortable in the water, they are then enrolled in classes actually designed to develop swimming skills."

"Okay. That seems reasonable," offered Burt.

"Well, you see the difficulty is that all of our water adjustment children are exactly that – children. I don't have a single one older than seven. I can, as pool director, enroll Kurt in that level of class. But you're… seventeen?" she guessed. Seeing Kurt's nod, she continued. "Your seventeen year old son will be in a class with five other kids who are four to seven years old. If Kurt's comfortable with that, I'm happy to do so.

"Another option would be to enroll Kurt in private lessons with one of our instructors. Points to consider: the group lessons cost $52 for 2 days a week for a four week session. Each lesson is 45 minutes. However, if you divide the 45 minutes by the 6 children in the class, you average a little over 7 minutes of 'individual' time. Private lessons run $120 for four lessons. But, with the private lessons Kurt would get a full 30 minutes of one on one time. The private lessons are more flexible as well. Kurt and the instructor would be able to discuss when they could work together. We can give private lessons during the normal swim lesson hours if we aren't teaching, but a lot of times we give them early in the morning, before the pool 'opens' to the public, or during our lunch hour, or during open swim in the afternoon. Eventually, if Kurt wanted to do back-to-back lessons, he could have a one hour session, instead of just 30 minutes."

Rebecca took a deep breath. "Please know I don't need an answer today, if the two of you would feel more comfortable talking at home about all of this."

Burt looked over at his son for a long moment. "Ms. Michaels? Money isn't an issue for us. What would you recommend?"

"It's not really my place to-"

"Please, Rebecca. If Kurt was, well, your brother, let's say. What would you recommend to him? To your father?"

"The private lessons," she responded immediately. "You'll see much more growth in his swimming, much more quickly with the private lessons. Also, if it were my younger brother, well, I know he'd rather be caught wearing clothes bought at Kohl's or Target than in a class full of little kids." Rebecca couldn't help but chuckle quietly at the image. "Kyle's thirteen. Lives in California with my parents. Just recently discovered boys." Kurt's eyes met hers briefly at that bit of information. She winked at the teen.

Burt pursed his lips in thought. "Thank you for your honesty, Rebecca. Can I pay for eight private lessons for now?"

Kurt turned towards his dad in a panic. "Dad? Dad, I can't do this," he protested fiercely.

"Look, Bud-"

"No, Dad. This is…this is ridiculous. Shouldn't I have a choice? Isn't this America? I don't want to expose my skin to the harsh chemicals of a public pool, let alone the pee and germs. I don't want to expose myself to skin cancer because I've been out in the sun for too long. If I want to keep my body covered up, protected, and frankly – dry, shouldn't I, at 17, be allowed to make that choice?" Working himself into a frenzy, Kurt's voice got higher as his fear and frustration intensified.

Burt gripped his son's arm near the elbow to focus his attention. "Kurt. Graduation. College. New York." Burt slowly emphasized each word. "You can do this, Bud. You can do anything you put your mind to."

Kurt's breathing was becoming increasingly rapid and shallow and beads of sweat began to dot his forehead, despite the relatively comfortable temperature of the office. Rebecca began to worry that Kurt would work himself up so far that he might pass out.

"Mr. Hummel, Kurt, why don't the two of you come around the counter into our back office." Rebecca's invitation may have been phrased as a question, but her tone was insistent. She took a firm grip on the arm that Burt wasn't already holding, and led Kurt to a leather chair near an oscillating fan. "Sit, Kurt. Put your head between your knees and focus on taking slow deep breaths for me."

Burt took a step back, leaning against a small refrigerator, as Rebecca worked at calming his son down. Interestingly, for someone as adverse to strangers being too near him or touching him, Kurt wasn't flinching or shying away from Rebecca's touch. She had one hand gently holding his shoulder as the other hand rubbed small circles on Kurt's back.

"Mr. Hummel, you'll find some apple juice containers in the refrigerator behind you. Would you take one out for Kurt?"

"I don't need juice," argued Kurt.

"Shhhh," soothed Rebecca handing Kurt the bottle. "Humor me. I know what it's like to have panic attacks, Kurt. I had them frequently in college. Apple juice always made it better."

The door to the pool deck swung open just as Rebecca finished her sentence, and a tall, lanky, very blond young man walked in. Dressed in baggy red swim shorts, sunglasses, and wearing a silver whistle, he was humming the theme song to _Sesame Street_.

"Dude, apple juice makes anything better."

Rebecca rolled her eyes. "Mr. Hummel, Kurt, I'd like to introduce you to one of my lifeguards – Jeff Sterling. Jeff, this is Mr. Hummel and his son, Kurt."

Jeff smiled brightly. "Hi!" he said with a wave.

"Jeff is our resident thief."

"Hey!"

"Come on, Jeffy. I call 'em like I see 'em. Just today you have robbed me of my frozen grapes, my sunglasses and I am positive that I would have remembered lending my zinc oxide to you."

Jeff guiltily touched the bright pink ointment covering his nose.

It was apparent to Burt that Rebecca was only teasing the other lifeguard.

Jeff held his hands up. "Well, I could have bothered you, but you were clearly busy with more important things, so I decided to be proactive, and 'borrow' those things – 'borrow' not 'steal' – because I knew that you were only going to say yes anyway because I am, of course, your favorite." Jeff gave a grin that the Cheshire cat would have been proud of.

"Point of order, Sterling. We addressed this topic earlier. My favorite is Anderson. Oh, stop pouting. You wanna be favorite? Don't take my stuff without asking. It's really quite simple. Now, what did you need? 'Cause I also remember telling you to go outside." Rebecca straightened and moved to chair across from Kurt, slipping off her flip flops.

Jeff glanced at the ceiling, as he tried to recall the reason for his arrival. "Oh, yeah. What's the second verse to _Sesame Street_? You know, the part after 'Come and play, everything's A-Okay." He sang the lyrics without a hint of embarrassment.

Rebecca found herself pinching the bridge of her nose in amusement. "Really? Really, Jeff?" She heard Burt's low chuckle from across the room.

"Well, you know…, like, everything."

Rebecca shrugged. "Not this time."

A quiet voice interrupted. "It's 'It's a magic carpet ride. Every door will open wide to happy people like you," offered Kurt.

Jeff smiled at Kurt and in the next moment both Jeff and Kurt were singing the theme song to the children's show. Rebecca met Burt's gaze and mouthed, 'I love my job,' at him causing Burt to smile.

"Um…I hate to break up this amazing episode of American Idol, but we have 20 minutes until the afternoon classes start. Where's Blaine?" interrupted Rebecca.

"Out on the diving board with Scott and Nick, practicing their dives. Should I go get him for you?"

Rebecca shook her head. "No. Would you mind giving Kurt a tour of the locker room facilities and going over the facility rules?" Glancing over to Kurt, she added "Is that okay with you, Kurt? You can meet us out on the pool deck after. I can do most things here, but I try to avoid the boys' locker room as much as possible. Seeing as I'm a girl and all." She could see his small smile at her wry humor.

"Yeah," he said standing up.

As they moved to the door to the pool deck where they would access the locker room, Rebecca stopped them briefly. "Jeff?"

"Yeah?"

"I think Kurt would enjoy knowing about the Secret Shadow List of Lifeguarding Supplies."

Jeff laughed. "No problem. So Kurt, let's go take the two minute tour of the locker room and then we can talk about how to avoid a head full of green hair."

"Green hair?"

"Yup." Jeff leaned his shoulder against the glass door. "My first summer working at the pool. Six hours a day, five days a week in the pool. After two weeks, I looked like a leprechaun. I'm totally serious. Nick and Blaine still have the pictures in their phones. Apparently, if you spend too much time in the swimming pool, algae can start to build up in your hair shaft. So my mom, she's amazing, she found this swimmers' shampoo that totally knocked that problem to the ground."

Jeff nudged the door open and continued his lecture, "So that was the beginning of the Secret Shadow List of Lifeguard Supplies. I can text you what shampoo, conditioner, lotion, sunblock and lip balm to use while you're here. Knowledge is power."

The door closed, shutting out whatever else Jeff had decided to share. Burt pushed himself away from the refrigerator, and picked up the empty apple juice bottle Kurt had drained, tossing it into the garbage can. "I can see you have your hands full," he remarked with laughter in his voice.

"Sometimes, for sure. But, I wouldn't have it any other way." Rebecca picked up a clip board holding papers and pair of sunglasses. "Would you join me out on the pool deck, Mr. Hummel?" Holding to door open, she followed him out.

The pool office was adjoined on either side by the locker rooms: boys on the right and girls on the left. A small concrete wall, perhaps two feet high, ran the length of the pool deck on the left while a three-foot chain link fence ran down the right. There was an area with metal bleachers behind this chain link fence, where parents could watch their children while they swam. At the far end of the pool deck and enclosing the bleacher area ran a normal sized chain link fence that overlooked the playing fields.

Rebecca led Burt towards an umbrella table tucked into the corner closest to the girls' locker room. There was a second free-standing umbrella and an assortment of mesh and white plastic chairs scattered underneath both umbrellas.

"Have a seat," Rebecca offered as she took a seat herself.

"Nice set up," remarked Burt, looking around the pool deck. Three female lifeguards lay sunning themselves near the raised chair, halfway down the bleacher-side of the pool. The boys seemed to have congregated down at the diving board, currently taking turns twisting and somersaulting into the water below.

Rebecca placed her sunglasses on and gazed down towards the boys. Burt watched as a tanned boy, with a head of curly brown hair, vaulted off the board and spun in a somersault several times. Unfortunately, he over-rotated, landing with a loud slap and large splash. When he surfaced, Rebecca stood and called out, "Anderson! You've got to bend your knees more and jump **up** not **out**."

Turning towards Burt, she added, "That's who I think you should have work with Kurt, by the way." She sat down and continued. "I have eight lifeguards who work here. Two of them – Jeff and Jordan, aren't allowed to give private lessons yet, because this is their first year lifeguarding. Nick, Blaine and Meghan are my teachers who work primarily with the preschool and elementary age kids – so they have lots of experience with kids who don't feel comfortable in the water yet.

Burt nodded. "Okay. But why this Blaine kid in particular?"

"Well, because he's Blaine." She paused for a long moment, clearly trying to articulate her feelings. "He's started working here with me at 14 as a volunteer. That was the summer he was going into to 9th grade. He did two years as a volunteer, then passed his lifeguard test. This is his third summer as a guard."

"So he's gonna be a college student in the fall," remarked Burt.

Rebecca seemed startled at Burt's observation. "Um, no. Actually he's going in to his senior year at Dalton Academy for Boys in Westerville." Seeing Burt's questioning glance, she hastened to add, "It's not really my story to tell. Blaine repeated his freshman year due to…some medical needs. He's totally fine now, but that whole situation resulted in him losing a year of school."

"Westerville's kinda far to travel for a job that pays…well, slightly above minimum wage would be my guess," observed Burt.

Rebecca concurred. "Yeah, it would be. But the boys – Blaine, Nick and Jeff stay with me during the summer here in Lima. Jeff's older brother and I are getting married in October and we stay in their grandmother's house with her. It's one giant ball of crazy chaos, but it means they keep more of their paychecks not paying for gas. And Lima's Parks and Rec pays more than Westerville's."

"So you know everyone here pretty well then?"

"We've all worked together for multiple years – everyone but Scott started out as a volunteer with me and worked their way up to lifeguard. And yes, if it were **my** brother, I would choose Blaine. Every day of the week and twice on Sunday."

Glancing at the large clock hanging in the window of the pool office, Rebecca stood and raised the silver whistle to her mouth. "Excuse me, Mr. Hummel. She blew two quick blasts. Immediately the lifeguards all moved into action. Floating lane lines were dragged across the length of the pool and tightened into place. Kickboards, swim noodles and diving bricks were placed in certain locations on the sides of the pool. Two large buckets of swim toys were left at the shallower end of the pool.

"Hey, Rebecca?" called Jeff as he emerged from the locker room with Kurt.

"Yes?"

"So is Kurt taking lessons from Blaine? Can I introduce them? Pleeease?" begged Jeff.

Kurt cocked his head to the side, looking confused. Reaching out, he caught Jeff's elbow briefly.

Jeff glanced back at Kurt, and answered his unasked question. "I can't give private lessons until next year." Seeing a look of disappointment cross Kurt's face, Jeff hastened to add, "But I'd be happy to work with you unofficially any time during our open swim – when I'm not on duty. And besides, you're gonna love Blaine. He's the best, Kurt."

Rebecca interrupted. "Kurt, why don't you come sit with your dad. Jeff, go grab Blaine. You're working the desk this afternoon, and you need to be back there, ready to sell day passes for lap and open swim in 5 minutes."

"Sure thing," called Jeff as he jogged towards the deep end of the pool, where the guys were still moving heavy diving bricks and a dummy into place for the junior lifeguarding class.

Rebecca motioned for Kurt to take a seat. "So, Jeff didn't scare you off?"

"No! no, he didn't," blurted Kurt. "He was really helpful. In fact," he turned towards his father as he added, "Dad, we need to stop by the mall on our way home. Jeff was telling me about this store that sells swim shirts that will block the UVA and UVB rays. And he had some suggestions about other things that I want to try out to protect my skin and hair."

Burt smiled at his son. "Not a problem, Bud."

"You might want to watch this, Kurt," offered Rebecca.

Kurt turned his attention back to the pool where the four male lifeguards were lined up. Without warning, all four dove into the pool and began swimming underwater towards the shallow end. Kurt was amazed and anxious as they kept coming closer and closer, but hadn't surfaced yet. "Don't they need to breathe?" he asked quietly.

"They'll come up when they need to. Scott and Blaine will make it the furthest," Rebecca explained just as Nick and Jeff broke the surface, just over halfway down the length of the pool.

"How…how do they do that?"

"Practice. And stubbornness. Scott plays water polo at OSU, so he's in phenomenal shape. He can go up and back on one breath. Blaine's been practicing for years. He wants to be able to do a full lap by the end of the summer. Kurt, your dad and I talked, and I think Blaine will be a good fit for you. But you need to know that if for any reason you don't feel comfortable with Blaine, you can let me know and we can switch to Nick or Meghan, or Scott, or even me. I want you to know that you control that decision."

"Thank you," offered Kurt. He would have added more, but that was the moment that the lifeguards -Scott and Blaine- breached the surface, inhaling deeply. Kurt couldn't pull his eyes away from the tanned, athletic men, one of whom was, in a quick practiced motion, climbing deftly out of the pool.

"Hey, Bec. Jeff said you wanted me to meet someone?" The young man who looked to be the same age as Kurt walked over to the umbrella table and snatched a towel off of a chair.

"These are the Hummels. Kurt needs some lessons. I recommended you," explained Rebecca. She nodded towards Burt before wandering off to supervise the pool set up.

Blaine remained standing, gently wiping the droplets clinging to his head and chest with his towel. Once he finished, he tossed the towel on to the closest chair and held out his hand to Kurt.

"Hi. I'm Blaine."


	3. Chapter Two: A Light in the Fog

**A/N**: I do not own nor did I create Glee or its characters. I have invited some of the boys to play and will do my best to return them unharmed. The title and chapter titles are selections from Edie Brickell's _What I Am_. This is an A/U where both boys appear bit more confident than is necessarily portrayed in the show. The rating is due to language. Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoy!

* * *

_Chapter Two: A Light in the Fog_

_Kurt, your dad and I talked, and I think Blaine will be a good fit for you. But you need to know that if for any reason you don't feel comfortable with Blaine, you can let me know and we can switch to Nick or Meghan, or Scott, or even me. I want you to know that you control that decision."_

_ "Thank you," offered Kurt. He would have added more, but that was the moment that the lifeguards -Scott and Blaine- breached the surface at the edge of the pool, inhaling deeply. Kurt couldn't pull his eyes away from the tanned, athletic men, one of whom was, in a quick practiced motion, climbing deftly out. _

_ "Hey, Bec. Jeff said you wanted me to meet someone?" The young man who looked to be the same age as Kurt walked over to the umbrella table and snatched a towel off of a chair. _

_ "These are the Hummels. Kurt needs some lessons. I recommended you," explained Rebecca. She nodded towards Burt before wandering off to supervise the pool set up._

_ Blaine remained standing, gently wiping the droplets clinging to his head and chest with his towel. Once he finished, he tossed the towel on to the closest chair and held out his hand to Kurt. _

_"Hi. I'm Blaine."_

Kurt slid his hand into Blaine's, and held the other boy's gaze. He'd read in some magazine that gay men held eye contact longer than straight men. He certainly hoped their research was accurate, since Blaine didn't seem to be in a rush to drop Kurt's gaze or his hand. God, his eyes were amazing.

"I'm Kurt. It's nice to meet you."

It took a few more moments before the boys dropped their hands back to their sides.

Blaine wrapped his arms around his chest, rubbing his hands along his upper arms nervously. "So, you're looking for lessons? Diving? Stroke refinement? Trying to shave seconds off your best time?" Blaine tried to figure out why Rebecca had recommended him for this specific job.

Kurt suddenly found the ground to be the most interesting place in the universe, staring at the concrete and tracing cracks with the toe of his shoe. "No, not exactly," he explained softly.

Blaine cocked his head to the side and took in Kurt's distress. It didn't really make sense to him. "So…what kind of lessons _are_ you looking for?"

Kurt was an absolute ball of nerves. Admittedly, this sucked. He could add this to his life's top 10 most embarrassing moments - along with pee balloons, slushies, and being tossed in the dumpsters at school. Kurt took a deep breath and decided to just admit everything. If the guy laughed at him, well, then there were other people here who could teach.

"Idon'tknowhowtoswim," he blurted before taking a deep breath and settling himself. "I don't know how to swim, and my _stupid_ school has a _stupid_ rule about having to pass a swim test and if I don't then I don't graduate. So here I am. Happy summer vacation, Kurt," he rambled, waving his arms around to emphasize his points.

"Oh," was all Blaine was able to get out before he was interrupted by Kurt again.

"And Dad said he'd take away my car if I didn't get my butt in the pool and learn to swim, so even though there are a thousand things I'd rather be doing with my vacation than jumping in a chemical laden pool that will dry out my skin and turn my hair green, according to that other guy Jeff, here I am. No offense."

"None taken," Blaine managed to get in while Kurt was taking a breath. God, was he ever going to stop talking long enough for Blaine to say more than three syllables?"

"Rebecca said that you wouldn't mind working with me privately. Because I realize that you probably don't get many 17 year old guys who can't swim walking in off the street asking you for lessons."

"None as handsome as you are," Blaine confessed quietly.

Kurt was about to continue his rant when Blaine's words sunk in. "Excuse me?"

Blaine startled and shook his head as if to clear it. "Shit. Oh my god. I said that out loud didn't I?" Blaine flushed a deep red that almost matched his swim trunks. He began to apologize profusely. "Kurt? Mr. Hummel? I am so completely sorry. That was so unprofessional. I-"

"Blaine?" Burt cut him off. "When are you available to start?" He smiled wryly. It'd been barely two minutes, and he knew he liked this kid.

"Are you sure, Mr. Hummel? I…what I said…I mean…are you sure you still want to use me?" Blaine asked in shock.

"Kurt?" Burt's answer to the question was to defer the choice to his son.

"Yeah. We're sure, Blaine." Kurt answered with a smile.

Blaine rubbed the back of his head, thinking about his work schedule. "I'm usually available in the mornings between 7:30 and 8:45, at lunch which is 12:15 to 1:15, and during open swim from 3:30 to 4:15 – although I can trade with one of the other guards so I could be available any time between 2:30 and 5pm. That's my schedule Mondays through Thursdays. Fridays are special schedules – a lot of day camps come here and swim, so it's totally crazy around here – but we could make it work if that's the only time you have."

Kurt looked back at his dad. "I have plans with Mercedes and Tina tomorrow afternoon."

Burt gave Kurt a pointed look. "Sounds like your morning is free then. Do you need me to drive you here?"

"God, no, Dad. I'm not 12. I **am** completely capable of getting myself to my swim lesson," grumbled the teen. Turning back to Blaine, Kurt asked, "Is 8:00 okay?"

"Yeah, sure, no problem. Don't forget your towel and goggles if you have them. We've got some extras, so you can borrow ours, or if you want to try ours out before you buy your own pair, then you can do that too. It was really nice to meet you, Kurt. Mr. Hummel. I'll see you bright and early tomorrow." Blaine offered a half wave, and walked over to the edge of the pool before turning back.

"Kurt?" he called.

"Yes?"

"You'll want to eat something first. I mean, you'll probably not feel like eating because of nerves, but trust me, you'll actually end up feeling better if you manage a piece of toast or something. Maybe some juice." He shrugged, unsure if Kurt would be offended by his unsolicited advice.

Kurt nodded. "I'll try," he answered back. Walking over to his father, Kurt raised both eyebrows. "So, about that shopping trip we need to go on?"

Burt stood up chuckling. "Come on, bud. $200 is your limit. That's for everything."

"Daaaad. I need swim shorts, at least two swim shirts, sunblock, special lotion, special shampoo and conditioner, a hat, and goggles. We can't put a price on skin safety, now," argued Kurt walking back towards the pool office.

Burt waved goodbye to Rebecca Michaels who, clipboard in hand, was checking kids in and directing them to the appropriate class. "Nice try, Kurt. I just did put a price on your safety. $200. Anything more comes from your wallet, mister."

After saying a quick goodbye to Jeff, who was already at the counter selling passes for lap swim, they walked quietly out to the truck.

"Thanks, Dad."

"You're welcome. You know I'm really proud of you for doing this."

"Proud enough to make it $250?"

"Don't push it."

* * *

For as blistering hot as the summer days could be, summer mornings could be quite chilly. Blaine shivered underneath his red hooded sweatshirt with LIFEGUARD written in white down the length of the arms. He sat on one of the desks in the office, drinking his medium drip coffee and eating a toasted bagel with cream cheese. Rebecca had to be at the pool by 7:30 every morning, and most days he, Nick and Jeff rode with her – choosing to wake up slowly in the office instead of driving in later.

Nick was curled up on a towel on the floor breathing heavily. He'd gone out with his girlfriend to see a midnight showing of some movie – and was trying to catch up on his sleep. Jeff was outside in the lifeguard chair, keeping an eye on a pool full of adult lap swimmers. Lap swim ended at 8:00, so Blaine and Kurt would have the pool to themselves for his first lesson.

Blaine munched on his bagel, focusing on the process of chewing and swallowing. He was startled to see the lap swimmers climbing out of the pool. He figured Kurt would have been here early. But here it was, six minutes past 8, and no Kurt.

Rebecca popped her head in the office. "Wasn't Kurt coming in today?"

He shrugged then swallowed his breakfast. "I thought so."

Rebecca thought about it for a moment. "Blaine? Go check the front. I bet he's out there."

"Shit, Bec, I bet you're right." Blaine was annoyed with himself. Kurt came in through the front yesterday. Why would he think to use the side entrance? Sure enough, as Blaine rounded the pony wall, he could see Kurt standing outside, glancing at his watch and peering through the glass. Blaine quickly bent down to unlock the first door and then moved to the second door and set the push bar so it was in the unlocked position.

"Hey, Kurt! Sorry about that. We forgot to tell you how to get into the pool yesterday," apologized Blaine.

"I don't come in here?" Kurt was clearly confused.

"Nah. Come on, walk with me." Blaine walked down a cement pathway that let around the P.E. building towards the athletic fields. "The summer custodian unlocks the gates to the pool every morning so we can get in. Everyone comes in through the side gate for lessons. We don't unlock the front door of the pool office until after lunch when we have to sell passes for lap and open swim. That way we don't have to worry about someone sneaking in and stealing the money or our things," Blaine explained.

"Makes sense," Kurt offered. "I'll come this way from now on."

Blaine opened the smaller gate that led onto the pool deck and motioned for Kurt to move through. Kurt was dressed in brightly printed swim shorts in blue, green and purple with a white swim shirt trimmed out in the same print as his shorts. He was carrying a chocolate colored straw hat – clearly Jeff had given him directions to the local swim shop that carried their favorite lifeguard supplies. He'd admired that specific hat for a while.

"You found him." Rebecca smiled at Kurt before disappearing inside a storage closet.

Jeff walked by and gave Kurt a head nod. "Good luck, Kurt. Don't let Blaine give you any grief."

"'Kay."

Blaine walked them around the pool so they were closer to where the umbrella table stood. "You should lay your towel on one of the chairs so the sun can warm it. The deck is cold in the morning, and you'll want the heat when you get out of the pool," he explained. Looking Kurt in the eye, he asked point blank, "You ready for this?"

Kurt's throat was dry already. "No. Not really."

Blaine nodded with understanding. He reached down and pulled off his sweatshirt, baring his tanned skin to the world. "It's okay. We'll go slow. I'll need you to tell me what you're comfortable with and what you're not."

Kurt's thoughts went to a very naughty place. "That's what he said," he blurted before blushing.

Blaine's laughter rang out over the pool deck. "Come on, Kurt," he chuckled, placing his hand under Kurt's elbow. "Let's go sit on the side of the pool and talk."

Kurt allowed himself to be guided to the corner of the shallow end. Blaine sat down plopping his feet into the water. "Come sit and put your feet in, Kurt."

Taking an impossibly deep breath, Kurt edged over towards Blaine and sat down. He folded his legs under himself for a moment. "What's that noise?"

Blaine listened for a moment. "Oh, that's just the water spilling into the gutter. See?" He pointed to the opposite edge of the pool. Kurt could see there was an opening of about eight inches between the pool deck and the tiled wall of the pool. The water constantly spilled over, keeping the water circulating. "Can you put your feet in the water, Kurt?"

Nodding, Kurt unfolded his legs and dropped them in. He hissed at the contact. "It's colder than I expected."

"It's warmer once you jump in." Blaine saw the fear flash across Kurt's face. "No, no, no. Kurt, we're not jumping in today. I promise. I just want to talk to you. You need to be able to trust me if we're gonna do this. It's hard to trust someone you've just met. So, I'm Blaine Anderson. I'll be a senior at Dalton Academy in the fall. I have one older brother, who lives in L.A. I've been swimming since I was four and diving since I was nine. I love the water, the sound of rain, Disney movies, singing and college football. My favorite holiday used to be Valentine's day." He caught Kurt's questioning look. "Ah ah, I can't tell you everything today. We'd have nothing to talk about tomorrow. Where was I? Oh, I rebuilt a car with my dad two years ago. And, I love Roxy music, Pink and Katy Perry."

Kurt laughed quietly. "I wonder if this is what it feels like to speed date."

Blaine grinned. "No idea. So...what's your story?" he asked pointedly.

"Story?"

Blaine sighed. This process was going to be two steps forward and one step back. "Okay, clearly being around water makes you nervous. Let's not start out by ignoring the elephant in the room, or the whale in the pool if that fits better."

"You are a dork," Kurt teased.

Blaine acted shocked. "God, usually it takes people at least 20 minutes to figure that out. I'm impressed." He dropped the humor from his expression. "Don't deflect, Kurt."

"I'm not-"

"Sweetheart, let's not go there. You are looking at an absolute master of deflection and avoidance. 'Sides, it will actually help me be a better teacher if you do tell me why you're scared of the water." Blaine paused before adding, "I mean, if you can. I don't want you to open up healed wounds or anything."

Then he waited.

And waited.

Underneath his fear of talking about those memories, Kurt was impressed. Most people gave up. Most people weren't patient enough. But dredging up what had been one of his three worst memories took time, and energy. And apparently Blaine was willing to wait for Kurt to find the words.

"I drowned," Kurt answered quietly.

Blaine, who had been staring out towards the playing fields, snapped his head back to Kurt. His eyes were impossibly big. "What?"

Kurt tried again. "I drowned. When I was six." His answer was devoid of any of the teasing or sassiness or even nervousness he'd been showing before.

Blaine's stomach plummeted. "Fuck. Kurt, I'm so sorry. I didn't-"

Kurt cut him off. "No one knows, Blaine. Well, except for my dad." He picked at the edge of his new hat, needing something to hold on to. "We were at family camp. My mom and my dad and me. We were sharing a big cabin in the woods with my mom's friends." Kurt stopped and several shaky breaths before continuing.

"One of the activities was canoeing. Mom signed us up. The two of us. Dad decided to stay at the kitchen hall to listen to the baseball game. It was the World Series. I remember my mom rolling her eyes at him before kissing him and telling him it was okay. Anyway, we hiked out to this large pond where there were a couple of canoes and two lifeguards supervising.

"We were having a great time. Until another canoe hit ours. I was wearing my life vest when we flipped. I remember being underwater, looking up at the sky. Somehow my feet got tangled up in some plants. Then, the vest slipped off." Kurt ran his hand down his face as he struggled to share the whole experience.

"Kurt, you don't have to-"

"Yeah, I kinda do, Blaine. If we are going to do this, you need to know. I _need_ you to know. So you _get_ why this is so hard." Kurt glanced up from his hat. "You know that scene in Goblet of Fire, when Harry runs out of air trying to save his friends?"

Blaine nodded.

"I ran out of the theater. I told my friends I had the stomach flu and my dad came to pick me up. But that's not why I threw up.

"I remember all of it. Holding my breath until I just couldn't anymore. I remember what it feels like to suck in lungs full of water and…and, well, my mom and the life guards were looking for me frantically. But it was an afternoon in October and there wasn't much light. And it was a pond. Not a crystal clear chlorinated pool. By the time they found me – I was _dead_. Not breathing. No heartbeat. They did CPR and life-flighted me out of the camp to the closest children's hospital.

Blaine stared at Kurt in amazement. "I don't know what to say, Kurt."

Kurt shrugged. "When I woke up in the hospital and found out that I'd ridden in a helicopter but couldn't remember it, I was so upset."

Blaine offered a small smile. "What six year old wouldn't be? So no helicopter rides since?"

"Nah. But I'm hoping to save enough money to splurge on a helicopter tour of Manhattan when I go to New York for college."

"That would be so cool. College in New York and the helicopter tour."

Kurt was grateful they had moved on to another subject. "Where are you going to apply?" he asked curiously.

"I'm headed to OSU. Diving scholarship."

"Are you going to apply anywhere else? I mean, what do you want to study?"

Blaine moved his legs in small circles in the water. "I'll find something that works for me at OSU, Kurt. My parents have eaten up my college fund sending me to Dalton for four years. It sucks for the future, but it was _everything_ I needed at the time. So, money talks. Stanford and UCLA have scouted me too, but OSU would be cheaper than relocating to California – even if I lived with my brother. It will honestly depend on who can put together the best financial aid package." Blaine was resigned to his fate. His parents had been upfront with him about money and college. While he didn't love the idea of attending OSU, he'd made his peace with it. He'd get a good education and move on.

"Fine, but riddle me this, Batman. If you knew you wouldn't fail, what would you choose as a career?

"God, I'm having flashbacks of writing my college application essays. Thanks." Blaine leaned forward to scoop some water into his hands. He splashed the water into his face before answering, "Um, rock star? Wizard? Okay, in all seriousness, if I knew I would be guaranteed to succeed, I would be a writer. Then, later, I would open my own restaurant. I like to write. And I really enjoy cooking. Well, really I enjoy food. Kinda like Remy in Ratatouille."

"I love that movie," remarked Kurt.

"Me too. Okay, random fact about Blaine Anderson -"

"Are these facts numbered? Should I take notes?"

Blaine blushed, and pushed Kurt's shoulder. "Shush. Yes, they are numbered and there will be a quiz. Anyway, as I was saying, Random Fact #13: I dream about food every night. I think I consume more calories in my sleep than I possibly could awake. I once had a dream where our swimming pool was completely filled with jelly beans."

"Jelly beans?"

"Yeah, I was just kinda floating on top of them all."

Kurt scoffed. "That makes no sense, Blaine. I mean, if you jumped in the deep end, you wouldn't be able to move and you'd probably end up suffocating."

Blaine leaned forward again to scoop water, this time flicking the water drops at Kurt. "Buzz kill much, Hummel? Seriously, it was a dream. And that wasn't even one of my weird ones."

Kurt wiped the water from his face and kicked his leg towards Blaine, getting him wet. "I'm not sure I want to know."

"'Course you do. Once, I dreamt I was a flying turtle. Another time, I dreamt I was making out with this really cute guy from my history class."

"That's not necessarily weird," argued Kurt.

Blaine held out his hand in the universal sign to stop. "Uh, yeah, it was. Because in my dream, I was a _girl_. Girl parts and everything." Blaine waved his hands in front of his chest, simulating breasts. "I mean, what the hell is that supposed to mean? So I ask Cooper – my brother – what he thinks, because he's like, ten years older than me, so he's got more experience and stuff. Asshole sends me a book on dream interpretation. But guess what? No chapter on gender swapping. Didn't really help out with the whole turtle thing either."

Blaine slid into the pool in front of Kurt and clasped his hands together. Without warning, he shot a stream of water up and onto Kurt's shirt.

"Hey!"

Blaine smirked. "This is my turtle, Timmy," he explained in a sing song voice. "He doesn't like it when our friends don't want to come into the water to play with us. So he spits at them until they do." He let another, larger stream streak over Kurt's head and chest. "Timmy, that's not nice," he told his hands. Looking through his eyelashes, he gave Kurt his very best puppy face. "Come play with us, Kurtie. Pleeeease."

Kurt laughed and kicked his foot up, splashing Blaine.

"I wouldn't do that, Hummel," he warned, "Don't bite off more than you can handle!"

"I think I can handle you, Anderson."

"Uh huh." Blaine sounded doubtful. "Your safe word is _manatee_."

"Excuse me?"

Blaine was all business. "Your _safe_ word. If you start to panic. Or you need a break. Because as much as I enjoy talking with you, and flirting with you, I need to teach you to swim. And occasionally, that means I'm going to push you past your comfort zone. So, now you have a way to break through my thick skull and tell me we're too close to the edge. Got it?"

"Yeah. Thanks. Now, where were we?" Kurt asked before sending another splash at Blaine.

"Oh, it's on like Donkey Kong, Hummel." Blaine sassed as he jumped forward to grab Kurt's foot. He pulled gently, encouraging Kurt to join him in the water.

"Blaine!" Kurt called out in warning as his legs were pulled out from him. Soon he was balancing on his hands as Blaine had both feet locked under an arm.

Blaine held Kurt's gaze. "Do you trust me?"

"What?"

Blaine asked again with more feeling. "Do you _trust_ me?"

"Are you freakin' Aladdin?"

"Would you be my Jasmine if I was?" Blaine twisted and pulled, and without warning, Kurt was in his arms in the water. He gathered Kurt to his chest, hoping his proximity would help Kurt feel more comfortable. "I can show you the world. Shiny, shimmering, splendid. Tell me, Princess, when did you last let your heart decide?" Singing loudly, Blaine walked slowly until they were about five feet from the edge of the pool deck.

"Fuck, Blaine, put me down," Kurt ordered, smacking Blaine lightly in the chest with his fist. He seemed to be more annoyed than scared.

"That wasn't a very Disney thing to say, Kurt," chastised Blaine.

"Bite me," Kurt sassed.

Blaine leaned in so his lips were next to Kurt's ear. His whisper came out hoarser than he'd intended. "You just tell me when and where, Princess." Kurt froze in his arms. Blaine pulled his arm out from under Kurt's legs so that the other boy was standing in the shallow end of the pool. He realized that Kurt was upset.

Kurt stared at Blaine. "Don't call me Princess," he choked out.

"Kurt -"

"I know you were just teasing and I know you didn't mean anything by it. It's just – the assholes at school who insist on shoving me into lockers and throwing slushies at me because I'm gay – _they_ call me princess. Along with a whole assortment of other names," he admitted.

"I'm sorry, Kurt." Blaine kept his arm around Kurt, rubbing circles on his back in an attempt to soothe the other boy. Kurt hadn't recognized that he was standing in the pool with Blaine, yet, and he was worried about what Kurt's reaction would be when he did.

Kurt hadn't made any attempt to withdraw his arm from where it was wrapped around Blaine's neck. He played with a few of the curls absentmindedly. "What do your friends call you?"

"Anderson or Blainers or B. How 'bout you?"

"Mostly my friends call me Kurt. Porcelain. Boo."

Blaine scrunched up his face, thinking for a moment. "Nope. Not liking any of those."

Kurt pulled his lower lip between his lips, before nervously admitting, "You called me handsome, yesterday. I liked that."

Blaine grinned. "You are, you know."

Kurt shook his head. "I don't think so. Blaine? Are you-?

"Gay? Yeah. I figured blurting out how attractive you are yesterday kinda made that obvious," he said, the tips of his ears turning red. "That and admitting I had a dream about kissing another guy. Granted, I was a girl at the time, but…"

"I…well, I didn't want to assume."

They paused somewhat awkwardly before Blaine decided to slowly draw Kurt's attention to his position in the pool. "I also think you're really brave."

"What? Why would you think that?"asked Kurt in confusion.

"Look down," Blaine whispered.

"_ohmygod_"

The color left Kurt's face. Blaine placed his hands firmly on Kurt's hips holding him in place. "Kurt? Hey! No panicking now. It's too late. You've been standing in the water for the past five minutes!"

Kurt looked up from the water into Blaine's eyes. "B.b. ?"

Blaine reached down to take hold of Kurt's hands. He could feel the younger boy shaking, trying desperately to combat his reaction to this stressor. "I'm right here. You're fine. Focus on taking a deep breath in for the count of seven, hold for four, out for a count of eight. Good. Repeat that three more times.

"Remember, this is like a giant bathtub. Well, it's a bit colder and missing the vanilla scented bubbles. And we wouldn't be wearing swim suits. Um shit, I mean, not that we would be naked in a bathtub together. I mean…what the hell do I mean? Who am I kidding? I'm sure you have some amazing boyfriend who is going to want to come beat the crap out of me after you tell him about this." Blaine had an annoying tendency of putting his foot in his mouth and choking on it when he was really nervous.

"No..no…no boyfriend," stuttered Kurt focusing on breathing in and out. "K.k. t. ."

"I'm gonna have to up my flirt game now that I know you're not spoken for, Hummel." Blaine sassed, hoping to help distract Kurt. He was happy to hear Kurt giggle nervously at his comment. "You know, as the lead singer for the Dalton Academy Warblers, I feel an obligation to sing to you to make you feel better." Kurt may have been shaking his head in the negative, but he was certainly smiling at the idea. Blaine quickly considered which of his favorite pool songs to sing.

In a loud, clear voice, Blaine began singing. "On top of spaghetti, all covered with cheese, I lost my poor meatball when somebody sneezed. It rolled off the table and on to the floor. And then my poor meatball rolled right out the door."

Both boys were startled to hear two other voices join in on the second line. All three of them continued. "It rolled down the driveway, then under a bush. And now my poor meatball is nothing but mush."

Nick called out, "This seems to be working way better than your Warbler Gap Attack, Anderson."

"Shut it, Duvall. I'm just trying to make Kurt feel better."

"Whatever. Keep telling yourself whatever you need to in order to sleep at night. We both know the truth." Nick walked to the pool's edge and spoke to Kurt.

"When you want the dirt on Blainers, you come talk to us." He pointed to Jeff and himself. "We have a million embarrassing stories that we, as Blaine's best friends, are obligated to share with you."

Jeff strolled over to Nick and slung an arm around the brunet's shoulders. "And pictures. Don't forget the pictures, Nick."

"How could I, Jeff? Pictures are worth a thousand words. _Each_," he emphasized.

"And the video, don't forget the video."

"Shush, Jeffy. Kurt, we just want you to know -"

"Since you're _our_ friend -"

"That if you ever need the 411 on young Blaine Warbler –"

"Come find us."

"Because we love him like a brother."

"And since we both _have_ brothers."

"We're gonna treat him like one."

If looks could kill, Jeff Sterling and Nick Duvall would have been two piles of burning ash. "You two suck," called Blaine.

"But we don't swal-"

"Jeffrey Andrew Sterling!" Rebecca's tone was pure ice.

Jeff spun around to face his future sister-in-law. "Sorry, Bec."

"Dishes for the rest of the week and I _might_ not tell your brother." She walked into the pool office, letting the door shut behind her.

Nick nudged Jeff. "Damn! You got the _full_ name treatment."

Blaine squeezed Kurt's hand gently, pulling his attention back to him. "It's 8:50. Your lesson's been over for like ten minutes thanks to the Wondertwins there. When do you want to come back? You _are_ coming back?" some anxiousness crept into Blaine's voice.

Kurt rolled his eyes. "Of course I'm coming back," he reassured. He smiled slyly, "But, I need you to know, it's only for your amazing body."

Blaine ran the hand not holding Kurt's over his chest. "I'm okay with that. It is an amazing body, isn't it?"

Jeff started making gagging noises from the side of the pool.

Rebecca popped her head out of the office door. "Jeffrey."

"Becca," he whined.

"Two words: Poop Patrol"

"I'll be swimming laps if anyone needs me," Jeff shouted to no one in particular before executing a perfect dive into the pool.

Kurt chuckled. These people were certifiable. "Tomorrow? Same time?" he asked Blaine.

"Perfect." Blaine walked Kurt over to the ladder so he could climb out of the pool. "Like you," he added after Kurt had wrapped himself up in his towel.

"Flirt," Kurt accused.

Blaine held up his hands. "Not denying it. Is it working?"

"Maybe. Ask me again tomorrow."

"I will."

"I hope so."

"Have a good day, Kurt Hummel."

"You do the same, Blaine Anderson."

* * *

Leaning against the edge of the pool, Blaine rested his chin on his arms, watching Kurt walk away. He couldn't remember ever feeling such instant connection with another person. Whether or not he ended up getting Kurt to go out on a date with him, he had a gut feeling that Kurt was going to be in his life for a very long time.

Nick jumped in to the water and moved to stand behind Blaine. Wrapping an arm around Blaine's chest, he pulled Blaine back into his chest for an odd hug.

Blaine loved Nick for many things, none more than Nick's absolute confidence in his own sexuality and unwavering support of Blaine's. Their friendship was cemented in place at a swim meet their freshman year at Dalton, when a diver from Blaine's former high school walked by and sneered out, "You suck cock!" Nick stepped up, stood nose to nose with the other guy and replied just as loud, "Every chance I get. Why? You looking for a little something something, sweetheart?"

"So, Blainers," he drawled out. "Between us: See something you like? Should I be jealous?"

Blaine reached up to grasp Nick's wrist. "You'll always be my number one heterosexual life partner, Nicky. But yeah, I like. I like a lot."

Nick moved to place a wet kiss on Blaine's cheek. "Good for you, babe." Then he grasped Blaine's head between his hands and blew a loud, wet raspberry on his cheek. "Love ya, Anderson."

Blaine shoved Nick away from him. "Love you too, Duvall."

They both finished with: "In a totally non-sexual best friends who will never have any benefits of any kind way."

Rebecca walked by shaking her head at the boys' antics.

* * *

**End Note:** I should be posting Chapter 3 sometime on Friday 3/1. The good news is it is already written and ready to go.

K8


	4. Chapter Three: What I Am

_**A/N**: I am posting a bit earlier than I anticipated. I should be publishing Chapter Four on Monday. Thank you for your kind words. Have a good weekend and stay safe!_

_ I do not own nor did I create Glee or its characters. I have invited some of the boys to play and will do my best to return them unharmed. The title and chapter titles are selections from Edie Brickell's __What I Am_. This is an A/U where both boys appear bit more confident than is necessarily portrayed in the show. The rating is due to language. Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoy!

_Chapter Three: What I Am_

Blaine Anderson made sure to apply his BullFrog WaterArmor SPF 50 liberally before snatching up his breakfast bagel and coffee and pushing through the office door to exit on to the pool deck. This morning was overcast – so much so that the lifeguards didn't think they'd see blue skies today. Overcast, however, didn't mean it was safe to go outside without protection. Blaine had learned that lesson his first summer as a volunteer. He'd worked four hours in the pool on a day much like today sans sunscreen. The sunburn he'd earned that day was so bad he couldn't wear a shirt or bear the weight of the sheet on his bed for three days. These days he applied water resistant sunblock before the day began and at every break.

This morning was warmer than yesterday, due to the cloud cover, so Blaine pulled off his hooded sweatshirt to toss it over the short fence along the bleachers. Jeff and his younger brother Austin were working on Austin's dives while Nick sat in the lifeguard chair watching the lap swimmers in the pool. Blaine grabbed a white plastic chair and dragged it over to the edge of the deep end of the pool where he could have a side view of Austin. He'd promised to help coach the in-coming 9th grader before Kurt's lesson. Biting into the bagel and chewing slowly, Blaine sat back to watch and give the occasional piece of advice.

Ten minutes early for his morning lesson, Kurt carefully closed the gate that led on to the pool deck behind him. He could see Nick sitting in the lifeguard chair watching the lap swimmers in the pool. Looking around, he spotted Blaine with Jeff and a younger version of Jeff near the diving board. Keeping as close to the fence as possible, Kurt skirted over towards Blaine to let him know he was here.

"Morning, Blaine!" he called out.

Blaine turned in the chair, a bright smile appearing on his face. "Hi, Kurt! Is it 8:00 already?"

Kurt shook his head in the negative. "I'm early. I was going to put my things down over by the table if that's still okay?"

"Why don't you put your bag down there and come over. We're helping Austin with his back somersault."

Kurt reached behind himself to grip the top rail of the fence. His attention was pulled by Austin launching himself up and off the diving board in a series of twists and turns. There was barely a splash as he entered the water below. His gaze was pulled back to Blaine, who was walking over to him.

"Hey, there. Nervous? Don't be. Or, at least, try not to be. I'll be right there with you. We can walk over together and you can sit in the chair. Would you be willing to try?" Blaine asked hopefully.

Kurt glanced down gathering his courage before meeting Blaine's honey colored eyes. _God, he had amazing eyes._ "I'll give it my best shot. But if it gets too much…"

"Then we'll walk over to the umbrella table – no questions," reassured Blaine. He moved to walk back when Kurt caught his wrist. Turning, he noticed Kurt's amused smile.

"I'm clearly not an expert, Mr. Anderson, but I thought there was a rule about not swimming for at least an hour after eating?" he commented slyly.

Blaine was curious at the seemingly random nature of Kurt's question. "Um, well, it kinda depends on the size of the meal and how vigorous the swimming is going to be. Why?"

Nodding to show he understood, Kurt reached up slowly to wipe the corner of Blaine's mouth with his thumb catching a dab of cream cheese. He stared in stunned silence as Blaine caught his hand and brought the cream cheese up to his lips, slowly licking it off with his warm tongue. _Ohmygodohmygod._

The ear-piercing sound of Nick's whistle split the air. Lap swim was over. So was their interlude.

Both teens jerked back to reality. Blaine appeared to recognize what he'd done first. "Oh my god, Kurt. That was so-"

"Hot," exhaled Kurt.

"-inappropriate," admitted Blaine.

"Oh!"

"Oh!"

Kurt smirked at the flustered Blaine, dropped his bag to the ground, and brushed past him towards the chair Blaine had left moments before. Kurt was halfway there floating on a cloud of elation from their intense moment before his fear was able to smash through. It caused him to halt suddenly, staring at the rolling water.

Following close behind, Blaine didn't miss a beat when Kurt stopped. Wrapping an arm securely around Kurt's waist, he sang quietly, "Fathoms below, below, from whence wayward westerlies blow. Where Triton is king and his merpeople sing, from mysteries fathom's below." He was able to coax Kurt closer, and when they reached the chair, Blaine pulled it back away from the edge hoping to ease Kurt's discomfort some.

"Thanks," said Kurt quietly, sitting down to watch.

Blaine reached down to squeeze his shoulder. "Don't worry about it," he reassured. Looking up, he waved towards Austin. "Okay, Sterling 5.0, let's see what you've got." He watched carefully as the youngest Sterling took three steps down the springboard before leaping up hands held high. He narrated for Kurt, "Once his feet hit the board, Austin'll use the momentum to catapult himself up. He pulls feet up, touches them with his fingers, then releases and spots the water."

Austin didn't make much of a splash as he entered the water. Jeff wandered over. "He's looking better, don't ya think?"

Blaine nodded in agreement. "If he keeps working at it this summer, he'll make varsity for sure. We just need to clean up two or three more dives and he'll take Hunter's place for sure."

"And that would be _so_ sad." Jeff's tone made it clear he thought the opposite.

"A travesty of epic proportions to be sure," Blaine concurred.

Having climbed down from the lifeguard's chair, Nick joined the others, slinging his arm around Blaine's shoulders. "What're we talking about?"

"How tragic it would be to have 5.0 replace Hunter Clarington eye eye eye on the dive team," explained Jeff.

Nick laughed heartily. "We'd have to go into full-fledged mourning for sure. Pass out black armbands. Cover the mirrors at Dalton. Shave our eyebrows." Seeing Jeff, Blaine and Kurt's incredulous stares, Nick continued. "Hey, the ancient Egyptians did it. _And_ it could shave seconds off our times. Don't knock it 'til you try it. Seriously, Blainers, my love, have you ever considered-"

In a heartbeat, Nick found himself underwater. Swimming up, he was momentarily concerned he'd pushed Blaine too far – especially since Kurt was sitting right there. Surfacing, he knew immediately that Blaine was fine – given the size of his grin, and his answer of "You mock me, sir."

Austin had climbed out on the diving board once again. This time he was facing away from the pool and the heels of his feet hung off the board. "Count it out," called Jeff. The boys could hear Austin's answer of "One. Two. Three. Four" as he moved through the motions of the dive. His backwards double somersault over rotated and he landed with a loud slap. Everyone winced.

Once Austin surfaced he swam over to the ladder near where the boys were gathered. Kurt could see a bright red patch on his back where he had impacted the surface.

"You need to have more confidence that you can do it, A," said his brother.

Blaine agreed. "And you need to focus on getting a little more height instead of worrying about distance away from the board."

Rebecca's snorted behind Blaine. "No shit, Sherlock. I do believe I tell you the same thing all the time, now, don't I."

"And clearly I have been listening," argued Blaine.

"Just not implementing," snarked Nick still treading water.

"Hush, Duvall," ordered Rebecca. "I hate to break up your morning love fest, but I have to wear the boss hat now. You, Jeff, and Austin can pull the lane lines out of the pool. Blaine's got a lesson to give."

Blaine held out his hand to Kurt as everyone else moved to do their jobs. They picked up Kurt's bag and Blaine's sweatshirt before moving over to the shallow end. Repeating his actions from the previous day, Kurt laid his towel on the back of a chair and grabbed his straw hat. Blaine was waiting for him in the pool, bouncing on the balls of his feet.

"Come on, jump in."

"Don't think so." Kurt climbed down the ladder into four feet of water. Goosebumps broke out on his arms. The water itself was warm, but the air temperature made Kurt wish the sun was out. "Is that why you're jumping like a toddler on ice cream cake?"

"I love ice cream cake. Is what why I'm jumping like a toddler?" asked Blaine.

Kurt walked cautiously towards Blaine. "Are you jumping like that because it's so cold?"

"This isn't cold," remarked Blaine. "Six a.m. practice in March. _That's_ cold. But if you're cold we should move around a bit. Let's take a stroll." With that, Blaine took Kurt's hand and tucked it into the crook of his elbow. "Let me introduce you to everyone."

Kurt allowed Blaine to lead him across the shallow end of the pool in laps while they discussed the people Blaine worked with. "I met Jeff and Rebecca Monday," he offered.

"So they said at dinner last night," Blaine replied. Seeing Kurt's raised eyebrow, he went on to explain. "Jeff, Austin, Nick, and I live with Rebecca and her fiancé Pete in Nana Sterling's house here in Lima during the summers. We go to Dalton Academy together – well, we will now. Austin's starting 9th grade in August with us. He's a volunteer, so you'll see him on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. He's also taking my diving class and the junior lifeguard class with Scott. Let's start with Nicky," he said, gesturing towards the brunet lifeguard. "Nick Duvall is my heterosexual life partner.

Kurt stopped walking, forcing Blaine to look at him. "Your _what_?"

"Heterosexual life partner. Nick's straight. But if it weren't for the whole sex thing, we'd be great life partners. It's like, he's more than just a best friend – and truthfully, he and Jeff are really best friends. He's my island of calm. Dalton teams all 9th graders with an upper classman to help with the transition. They're called your 'critical friend'. Sounds great. It totally depends who you get partnered with. So, my CF ended up not being comfortable with my being gay. He wasn't a jerk, never said a bad thing, but I could just tell it made him uncomfortable. Next thing I knew, Nick had traded with me and I was teamed up with 3.0."

Having reached one edge of the shallow end, Blaine turned them around to continue. "David Sterling. There are five brothers, so their dad started calling them Version 1.0, 2.0, 3.0 etc. Anyway, Nick didn't have to do that, and he didn't really ask. He just knew what I needed. It makes me miss my brother – except we were never that close. So I guess is makes me miss what could have been. Wow, I don't mean to get so deep."

Kurt shook his head to show he wasn't bothered by it. "What about Scott? He goes to OSU?"

Blaine nodded. "Yeah. He's going into his junior year. He's on the water polo team, which is why he's a little more built than someone who just swims. He went to Thurston, played ice hockey and water polo. I think he's majoring in modern history. I'm pretty sure he's going to earn a teaching credential – teach history and coach. He'll be great. We've worked together for, gosh, all five years I've been here. He's offered to let me room with him if I end up at OSU."

Having reached 'their' corner, Blaine walked Kurt along the edge towards the middle of the pool. "Hold on to the edge. We're going to work on your flutter kick."

"What about the girls?" Kurt asked. "Aren't you going to tell me about them?" He faced the wall and gripped the gutter with both hands."

"Patience is a virtue, Kurt," joked Blaine.

Kurt shot him one of his 'bitch please' looks.

"We can multi-task. I want you to let your legs float up, point your toes, and flutter your feet back and forth. We're not going for a lot of splash here. This is the kick you'll be using for the back stroke and the crawl." Blaine illustrated what he wanted with his hands and then turned towards the wall to model the proper technique for Kurt.

Once he got Kurt to kick like he wanted, Blaine leaned back against the wall and continued their earlier conversation. "The girls are Meghan, Jordan and Dani. Meghan is the one with the impossibly curly hair. I used to complain about my curls and how unmanageable they were – but then I met Meghan. She's amazing. I totally have a non-sexual crush on her. She's a sophomore at the University of Oregon. Wants to be court advocate for children. Has designs on attending Harvard or Stanford Law. She'll do it, too. Between the two of us, we teach all of the beginning three levels of classes. Water Adjustment, Guppy, and Minnows. Once they can float front and back for 25 feet, blow bubbles, and go underwater, we pass them on to Jeff and Jordan."

Blaine had Kurt turn over from his stomach to his back and continue his flutter kicks. "No complaints now- this _is_ your workout for the day. Blaine Anderson: Life guard, swim teacher, personal trainer at your service."

"Noted," Kurt ground out. His legs were indeed starting to burn from the effort.

"For your test you're going to have to make it up and back three times. To quote Debbie Allen: 'This is where you start paying – in sweat."

Blaine nodded towards the umbrella table where two of the female lifeguards were sitting, applying spray-on sunblock. "This is Jordan's first year lifeguarding. Brown hair in braids. She's going in to her junior year at Thurston. Plays field hockey, swims, and dances competitively." Blaine thought for a moment. "Irish folk dancing I think. Jeff would know. They've kinda had this flirtation thing going for the past three summers. But I don't think either one of them wanted to push it, given Westerville's an hour plus drive, and neither of them had a license. We'll see. I'm kinda a romantic at heart, so I'm rooting for them."

Kurt finally had to put his legs down. "I need a break or you'll have to carry me out of here."

Blaine smirked. "You just want me to put my arms around you again, Hummel."

Kurt placed his hand flat on Blaine's tan and toned chest. Staring into Blaine's eyes, he drawled out, "Thinking highly of ourselves, aren't we?" before shoving Blaine backwards into the water. He watched cautiously as Blaine stood back up and flung the water from his forehead. "Sorry, Blainers, but you looked like you needed to cool off," sassed Kurt.

"You think so?" Blaine's eyes narrowed as he approached Kurt. "Can you hold your breath?"

Kurt rolled his eyes. "Of course I can hold my breath," he answered without thinking.

Wrapping his arm around Kurt's waist, Blaine instructed him, "Then hold it, handsome." Without further warning, he allowed his feet to slide out from under him dragging the two of them under the surface of the water.

Just as quickly he stood them up, wiped the excess water from Kurt's eyes, and waited.

In his lifetime, Blaine had seen two people start to go into shock. And while the part of him that enjoyed flirting with Kurt was recoiling in horror that he'd just shoved Kurt over the edge of his limitations, the well-trained lifeguard took swift action. "Nick! Meghan!" he shouted, bringing the other lifeguards into the pool with him.

Eyes unfocused, Kurt's body was turning a dull grey color as the blood was pulled away from his extremities. Blaine moved to wrap one of Kurt's arms around his shoulder as Nick did the same on the other side. "What happened?" Nick asked.

"Panic attack. He's going into shock. We've got to get him-"

As Blaine and Nick mostly carried Kurt towards the ladder in the corner, a part of him became conscious enough to realize his body was immersed in water. He began flailing about, his elbow connecting with Blaine's nose which began to bleed.

"Shit!" cried Blaine.

Nick spun Kurt so he could lift him into his arms. Clamping down as hard as he could on Kurt's arms, he managed to get to the side of the pool where Scott was kneeling down to lift the slender teen out of the pool. Seeing Jordan standing there, he called out, "Jordan! Get Kurt some juice and get Blaine some ice." Seeing she had run off to do so, Nick turned in time to see Meghan help Blaine out of the pool.

Scott had already placed Kurt down on one of the girl's towels, and propped his feet up on a plastic chair by the time Rebecca and Jordan returned with the juice and ice. Rebecca grabbed a couple more towels and Blaine's sweatshirt and tossed them lightly to Scott.

"Make sure he stays warm," she instructed. "Sit!" she commanded Blaine, handing him the ice pack for his nose. "What the hell happened?"

Blaine spilled everything he'd done, while painting a broad picture of why Kurt had reacted the way he did. It wasn't his story to tell, but the others need to have some idea what brought this on. Nick and Scott continued to take care of Kurt until the other boy could finally sit up and drink some juice. His first attempt was unsuccessful as it mostly sloshed out due to Kurt's trembling hands. Scott ended up pulling the bottle away from Kurt and holding it for him. "Don't worry about it. It's the adrenaline. Once your body processes it, the shakes will stop. Bad car accident when I was 13. Took three days to stop. This won't take that long," he affirmed.

Eventually they were able to move Kurt inside the pool office, where he was currently lying on the ground with his head in Blaine's lap. Blaine knew he wasn't in danger of being fired when Rebecca offered to cover his classes so he could stay with Kurt because, "_You broke him, you fix him_." He also knew he wasn't in danger of Kurt hating him forever, since Kurt was holding his hand and sighing occasionally as Blaine ran his free hand through Kurt's hair. He had his eyes closed, though. Blaine wasn't sure how to read that.

Kurt squeezed his hand. "I'm sorry I bashed your nose. It was such a nice nose," he said softly.

Blaine squeezed back. "I think it will be okay. If not, maybe you could give the eulogy?"

"I could do that," Kurt's mouth twitched in a grin. Opening his eyes, he pushed his way into a sitting position, only to immediately flop back into Blaine's lap. "Oookaayy. Clearly my body is not ready for a vertical position. Horizontal it is. Thank you, Mr. Anderson for taking on the role as my pillow in today's production of '_101 Ways Kurt Hummel Can Embarrass Himself_'."

"Hey!" Blaine said forcefully as he carded his fingers through Kurt's hair some more. "You don't have anything to be embarrassed about. _I_ fucked up. I did something _really_ stupid. And _really_ dangerous. And I owe you a super ginormous apology with sprinkles, whipped cream and a cherry on top."

"Dork," Kurt muttered under his breath before continuing, "I don't think you need to apologize – but, apology accepted. Although, if it already has sprinkles, whipped cream and a cherry then maybe, what you _need_ to do, is take me out for an ice cream sundae. Just thinking out loud here, Anderson."

Blaine smiled down at Kurt. "I like how you think. Ever been to Farrell's? I once ate their 30 scoop Volcano sundae – by myself. I didn't really feel too good after."

"Duh."

"Shush." Blaine pressed his index finger to Kurt's lips only to receive a tiny kiss on it.

"Don't you need to teach your classes, Blaine?" he asked with concern.

"Rebecca's got 'em. 'Sides, she's not going to let you leave until she's convinced you're fine. Which means one of two things. You can stand up and walk out of here on your own power. Or, your dad comes to get you. And truthfully, I don't think I could face your dad right now. I like my life. I have a small bucket list I'd like to accomplish before I die at the hands of an angry father."

"My dad's all bark, no bite. What's on your list?"

"Ride a gondola in Venice. Swim in the Pacific Ocean. See the Grand Canyon. Earn my high school diploma. Kiss a guy. Fall in love. Slow dance at my senior prom. Take Kurt Hummel for an ice cream sundae. That's just off of the top of my head – not in order of importance."

Kurt closed his eyes and sighed. "Maybe we could eat ice cream while riding in a gondola in Venice?"

"I change what I said earlier; I **_love_ **the way you think."

"Admit it, you just love me. I'm fabulous," Kurt teased.

"Ask me again tomorrow." Blaine answered back with Kurt's own words from the day before.

"Flirt!"

"Again, not denying it. Is it working?"

Kurt's only response was to tighten his hold on Blaine's hand and not let go.

* * *

Blaine flung the door to the pool office open, ripped his shirt off, and threw himself into the pool, his anger and frustration giving power to his strokes. It had been a little over a week since he first met Kurt, and he'd just sat in the office while Rebecca chewed him out for the 'inappropriate' way he was conducting himself with Kurt.

"The bottom line, Blaine, is you _need_ to put the kibosh on your flirt game and start _teaching_ him how to swim. It's gonna look real bad when he gets through the summer and the only thing he can do is flutter kick on the wall. He's not gonna pass the proficiency test that way. If he won't move on, then we need to contact his dad to discuss options," explained Rebecca. Setting clear expectations and boundaries with people she considered family was always difficult, but she knew Blaine, who wore is heart on his sleeve, was going to take this news especially hard.

Clenching his jaw, Blaine tried to defend himself. "You picked _me_ to do this job, Rebecca. Apparently, two weeks ago you thought I was good enough. I'm sorry I'm such a _disappointment_," he spat.

"Blaine, that's _not_ what I said," countered Rebecca.

"No, it's what you _implied_. That I'm too busy flirting with Kurt and staring at his ass to Do. My. Job. Kurt's got three more lessons paid up. Why don't you ask Nick work with him?" Pulling the door open, he looked over his shoulder. "Sorry, I don't mean to presume to tell _you_ how to do _your_ job." With that said, Blaine slammed out of the office.

Kurt had an appointment that morning, so he'd arranged to meet with Blaine during lunch. When he got there, Blaine was swimming laps. It didn't take long for Kurt to realize that something was wrong. Who knew he'd be able to tell someone's emotional state based on how they swam? Walking over to the umbrella table, he said hi to Nick and Jeff before sitting down with them.

"What's wrong with Blaine?" he asked.

Jeff shrugged.

Nick held up his hands. "Not sure. Rebecca called him in to the office, and next thing we know, he comes storming out and starts swimming. He's pissed at something. Scott went in to talk to Rebecca, and hasn't returned."

Looking around, Kurt noticed the girls were missing.

"They went to pick up lunch. We think they didn't want to be around while the shit hit the fan," offered Jeff.

Reaching the shallow end, Blaine lifted his head to see Kurt waiting for his lesson. Pulling himself out of the pool, he padded over to Kurt. "Hey," he said softly.

Kurt reached out to squeeze Blaine's hand, "Is everything okay?" he asked with concern.

"No." Blaine stood in front of Kurt, dripping water, staring at the ground, trying to find the right words to explain things to Kurt. "Rebecca is concerned about my ability to give you lessons. She says you aren't progressing and I think she'd like you to have someone other than me give you your last three lessons." Blaine finally looked up into Kurt's eyes. "I think you should give Nick a shot."

Kurt's face hardened. "No! No. No. No offense Nick," he shot over his shoulder, "but I agreed to take lessons from you, Blaine. I'm comfortable with you. This is bullshit." With that, Kurt spun on his heel and strode into the pool office.

Blaine sunk into the chair Kurt had just vacated, putting his head in his hands.

Nick scooted his chair around the table so he was sitting across from Blaine, knees touching. "What else did she say?" he asked quietly.

"That I'm spending too much time flirting with him and that's the reason I haven't been able to get him to do anything else." He paused for a long moment, "I don't disagree that we've been flirting. A lot. But, he's petrified of the water, Nick. I do it to help distract him from the panic he feels," explained Blaine.

"And…because you think he's amazing and hot and the best thing since Katy Perry," teased Nick gently.

Blaine sat up and looked at his friend. Glancing over to the pool door to make sure Kurt was still inside, Blaine nodded. "Yeah, I do. I think he's amazing and hot and I've never had a connection with someone like I do with him. And I'd love nothing more than to actually ask him out on a date-date. But I haven't because I **do** understand he's my student."

Taking a deep breath, Blaine finished. "I just wish she'd asked. _What's going on? Why are you doing this? _You saw him the last time I put him under the water. I have never, ever been so scared. Fuck, Nick, I can't watch him have another panic attack like that because I forced him to go further than he's ready for. **That's** why I haven't pushed. But she thinks it's because I'm trying to get in his pants. F.M.L."

The sound of the door opening drew the attention of the boys. Kurt came striding out, his face a mask. Kicking off his sandals, he picked up his hat and placed it on his head. "Are you ready, Blaine? Because if you don't feel up to giving me a lesson today, we can reschedule."

Blaine stood up and looked over Kurt's shoulder towards the office, where Rebecca was standing. She nodded, before going back inside.

"What did you say?" Blaine couldn't help but ask.

Kurt cocked his head to the side. "I'm not sure I should repeat it. It wasn't very _Disney_ of me. Something like: I'm not getting in that _fucking _pool without Blaine. So you can either _fucking_ support me or I'll find another _fucking_ place to learn to swim and hire Blaine to work with me there. Coming?" Kurt added that last part as he walked over to the ladder and climbed down into the pool.

"He _wishes_ he was," muttered Jeff.

"Shut it, Sterling," said Nick and Blaine at the same time.

Blaine looked at his friends searching for an answer to an unknown question. "Help me out?" he asked.

In answer Nick and Jeff got up from the table and bounded into the shallow end with Kurt.

"Three lifeguards? What service," teased Kurt.

"We aim to please, babe," Nick said, winking at Kurt.

"Heads up!" Blaine called out before tossing three diving bricks into the pool followed by him cannonballing in after.

Standing back up, Blaine moved to stand in front of Kurt. "Straight talk time. We need to get you comfortable enough to hold your breath underwater." He could see Kurt start to lose his color. "Uh uh. No freaking out. You can do this, handsome. I know you can do this." Blaine gestured to the other two lifeguards. "We know you can do this. You gotta believe it yourself."

Nick was studying Kurt intently, worried about the physical symptoms Kurt was exhibiting. Blaine hadn't been exaggerating. Kurt really had a problem with the idea of being under the water. Moving closer, Nick asked to see Kurt's hands. He was trembling uncontrollably. "Kurt?" he called softly. "Take some slow, deep breaths for me. I need you to close your eyes and picture somewhere you feel safe. Can you do that for me?"

The boys watched as Kurt's eyes fluttered closed. It took some time, but his trembling began to slow. "That's better," observed Nick. "Open your eyes. This is what we're going to do. Blaine, Jeff and I are going to have a bit of a contest. We're going to hold our breaths, and sit on the bottom of the pool for as long as we can. You, being unbiased, are going to time us. You can use the clock up on the office door. Last one up gets lunch of his choice paid by the other two. Agreed?" Nick knew Jeff and Blaine would agree to the terms. They'd been having this same contest for five summers. Blaine had never lost.

Seeing each of the lifeguards grab a brick, Kurt asked what they were for. "It's a diving brick. It will help weight us down. The air in our lungs will make us float, and without the brick we have to exert too much energy trying to stay down," explained Nick, offering his brick to Kurt so he could feel the weight. "Now remember, we'll be fine. We've done this lots of time, Kurt. You just concentrate on keeping the time. Can't brag about a new record if we don't have an accurate time," he added with a wink.

Blaine moved so he was standing shoulder to shoulder with Kurt. Counting down, Blaine took one last deep breath before slipping below the surface at the same time as the others. He also slipped the hand not holding the diving brick into Kurt's, so he'd know Blaine was okay.

Kurt noted the time, then glanced down at the lifeguards. They all looked so peaceful, air bubbles occasionally trickling up to break the surface. It was so quiet. Only the sound of the water spilling into the gutter behind him broke the silence. It seemed like forever before Jeff broke the surface with a loud inhalation. "I never win," he said with little regret.

Kurt felt Blaine tug gently on his hand, drawing his attention. He was looking up at Kurt, grinning widely before blowing him a kiss. It eased Kurt's nerves a bit to know that Blaine was enjoying this experience, although he'd feel a hundred times better once he was back up here in the air.

Nick broke the surface next, muttering about how one day Blaine would end up buying lunch for someone else.

Blaine looked up at Kurt and tugged on his hand again. He beckoned with his free hand, encouraging Kurt to come down under the water with him. It was a long shot for sure.

Nick could see when Kurt made up his mind as a calmness settled over his expression. Nick reached over to grab Kurt's hat off his head. "Deep breath. Hold your nose. Tap Blaine's wrist when you want back up," he instructed quickly. He knew Blaine had another 30 seconds of air before he'd be forced up.

Blaine had closed his eyes, so he was unprepared when another body settled into his lap. Opening his eyes, he was stunned to see Kurt, eyes tightly shut, one hand pinching his nose closed, wrapping his other arm around Blaine's neck. Blaine moved to bring his leg up and over Kurt's thighs to help hold him in place. He began to count in his head. At twelve, Kurt released the air in his lungs and Blaine quickly let go, pushing him to the surface.

Kurt stood up, stunned. _Had he actually done that_?

Nick and Jeff were cheering and hugging Kurt, congratulating him on his effort. Blaine stood by the side, barely able to contain his own emotions. He was just so…

Kurt's arms being flung around his neck interrupted his thoughts.

"I'm so _fucking_ proud of you right now, Kurt," he voiced hoarsely before wrapping his arms around Kurt's waist and pulling him in close.

Nick shoved Jeff towards the ladder. "So, I think _our_ work here is done. And I swear those girls should be back with lunch by now. The tummy is calling out for nourishment."

"Have fun boys – but not _too_ much fun. Use protection," sassed Jeff before picking up a towel and following Nick into the pool office.

Remembering where he was, Blaine dropped his hands from Kurt's waist, but left his forehead pressed up against Kurt's. "That was amazing. You're amazing," he whispered.

Kurt still had his arms wrapped loosely around Blaine's shoulders. "I…that…without you." Taking a deep breath, Kurt tried to steady his emotions. "That's mostly you, Blaine. No- don't argue with me. I would not have been able to do that without you. Without your encouragement. Your patience. So thank you."

Blaine swallowed his emotions down. "You're welcome." Kurt pulled away from him, and he felt incomplete, like something was missing.

Kurt walked his fingers up Blaine's arm. "So, B…"

"Yes?"

"You won the breath holding contest, and Nick and Jeff have to buy you lunch. I was wondering…"

"Go on," replied Blaine.

"Do I get something? For holding my breath underwater?" Kurt's voice deepened as he inched closer to the edge of this emotional abyss he was sure Blaine was feeling too.

Blaine leaned towards Kurt's ear to whisper, "What do you want, handsome? You're right, your effort should be rewarded." Then looking up towards the pool office, he took a conscious step away from Kurt, trying to put physical if not emotional distance between them.

"See a movie with me?" Kurt asked quietly.

It hurt. It hurt so much to hear the hope in Kurt's voice. To know that Kurt wanted to spend time with him. That he considered it a reward for his effort. Why did doing what was right have to hurt so much? "Kurt, look at me." Seeing Kurt's eyes meet his, Blaine pressed on. "I can't."

"Oh," Kurt muttered glumly dropping his gaze to the water.

"No! Look at me." Blaine waited until Kurt lifted his head again. "I said I can't. Not, 'I don't want to'. _I can't_. As in, I do not have the ability to. You're my _student_, Kurt. I would lose my job if someone found out I was dating you while being paid to teach you. So we're going to do _this_. We're going to work together until you can pass that swim proficiency test. And when you do-"

"And when I do…" Kurt echoed.

"All bets are off," he said with a shy smile. "I hope you understand."

"Oh, I understand. It sucks and I don't like it, but I understand."

"If it makes you feel better, I totally agree," offered Blaine. "Do you feel up to practicing going underwater some more?"

"I guess. This better be one heck of a first date, Anderson," Kurt teased lightly.

Blaine turned them so their backs were to the pool office, and positioned Kurt in front of him, back to Blaine's chest. He wrapped an arm around Kurt's waist. "We're trying for a count of fifteen. Tap out if you need up earlier. And do you really doubt me, Hummel? Ours will be the first date that every other first date you will ever go on will try to live up to, but will crash and burn in the attempt."

"Confident much?"

"I wish. It's mostly an act," Blaine answered honestly. "Ready?"

"Let's do this."

Kurt allowed Blaine to pull him under the water over and over that afternoon. He knew, with Blaine's support, he'd be able to do almost anything. In the pool or out.

* * *

Saturday night found Kurt at Nana Sterling's house, hanging out with Nick, Nick's girlfriend Tori, Jeff, Jordan, Austin, and Blaine. Rebecca was out at a girlfriend's house, so it was left to Nana Sterling to chaperone the gathering of teenagers. It had been Jeff who had left a voicemail for Kurt, inviting him over. "Hummel, get your butt over to my nana's house. We're watching flicks. If you don't come, the only one left to snuggle with Blaine is my brother and that is SOOO not happening. Bring snackage." He followed that up with a text of the address.

The basement held two large overstuffed sectional couches that could probably hold fourteen people comfortably. There was a giant flat screen television set on one wall and the coffee table held a pile of chips and candy. Kurt was worried about his decision to bring a cheese and crackers tray, until Jordan murmured, "Thank you, Sweet Baby Jesus. Someone who understands that man cannot live on salt, sugar and fat alone." She took his tray from him, shoving the bags of chips out of the way to place it center on the table.

"We were waiting for you to start the movie," explained Jeff dragging Kurt over to Blaine and shoving him into Blaine's lap. They disentangled themselves, moving to sit next to each other. Kurt noticed that Blaine wasn't wearing shoes, so he kicked off his own, tucking them under the coffee table where they wouldn't trip anyone accidently.

Nick and his girlfriend were curled up together at the other end of the sectional Kurt and Blaine were seated on, clearly comfortable just being together. Jeff walked back over to the second sectional, to sit back down next to Jordan - a little closer than necessary. He picked up the remote and pressed play before leaning back. Jordan, tired of waiting for Jeff to make a move, grabbed his arm and wrapped in around herself, allowing her to snuggle into his side. He looked down at her in surprise, then at Nick.

"Told you," mouthed Nick.

Jeff pulled her a little bit closer. "Let me know if you get cold, J. I can get us a blanket."

They both jolted as a perfectly tossed throw ended up covering their legs. Nana Sterling stood behind the couch smiling at the group. "No funny business, Jeffrey! Nicholas! You will be gentlemen," she said seriously.

"Yes, ma'am," answered Nick and Jeff automatically. This wasn't the first time she'd given the boys this warning.

She spotted Kurt and moved towards Blaine, eyeing him carefully. "Blaine Anderson, is this your beau?"

Blaine blushed profusely. He would never again laugh when Jeff or Nick faced Nana's interrogations. "No, ma'am." He shrunk as she seemed to stare at him even harder. "Not yet, anyway." Taking a breath he stood up, motioning for Kurt to join him. "Nana Sterling, I would like to introduce you to Kurt Hummel. Kurt Hummel, this is Nana Sterling, Jeff and Austin's grandmother."

Kurt held out his hand. Nana stared at it. "Phissh. Kurt Hummel, we don't do handshakes in the Sterling household. Come give me a hug, sweetheart."

After releasing Kurt, Nana turned back to Blaine. "How do you know Kurt?"

"We met at the pool. I'm giving him swimming lessons."

Turning to Kurt, she gave him an appraising stare. "Are you in school? Do you have a job? What will you be pursuing as a career?"

Kurt swallowed hard at the elderly woman's questions. "Yes. I'll be a senior at McKinley. I work at my dad's tire shop. I'd like to go to college in New York, and pursue a career on Broadway, or in fashion."

She seemed to think about Kurt's answers before announcing, "I like you, Kurt Hummel." Turning to Blaine, she added, "He's a keeper. See to it you treat him right, or you'll answer to me, young man." She motioned for Blaine and Kurt to sit back down.

She moved to sit on the arm of the couch next to Jeff. "What are we watching tonight?"

"_Finding Nemo_, Nana. It's rated G," offered Jeff. "Do you want to watch with us? We wouldn't mind."

Nana smacked Jeff on the arm lightly. "_You_ wouldn't mind. Mind _what_, Jeffrey? It's my house. If I felt like watching I certainly wouldn't feel obligated to ask your permission. _Wouldn't mind_. It's one of those cartoon movies isn't it? No, I haven't watched a cartoon movie since your grandfather took me to see that Bambi movie those bastards at Disney put out. They killed Bambi's mother. And that's supposed to be a children's movie? What are children supposed to learn from that? No thank you. Does Nemo's mother die?" Seeing Jordan's nod, Nana continued. "See? No, I'll not be watching movies that promote dead mothers." Nana made her way to the staircase, "See to it you behave. I'll let you know when House of Chu delivers our dinner."

Austin buried his face in a couch pillow, shoulders heaving with laughter. At fourteen, he'd yet to face his grandmother's inquisitions. He felt a pillow hit his head and bounce off. "Just you wait, A. You're gonna bring someone home one of these days," his brother warned.

He peaked out, tears running down his face. "Do you think I'm that _dumb_? I am **never** bringing someone home. Ever." He couldn't help it. The giggles burst forth again.

The seven teens watched_ Finding Nemo_, starting with chapter two – the first day of school – at Kurt's request. "Another day," is all he whispered to Blaine in explanation. After the movie finished, they took a break to eat, diving into the take out containers from the delivery of Chinese food. Kurt took great pleasure in teaching Blaine how to use chopsticks. He had even more fun feeding Blaine off of his plate.

"How is it, Anderson, that you never learned to use chopsticks?" Nick called over from the floor where he was sitting with Tori.

Blaine rolled his eyes. "It's all part of my flirt game, Duvall. This way, the cute boys all want to feed me," he teased, taking a bite of chicken off Kurt's chopsticks.

Kurt raised an eyebrow at Blaine. "**_All_** the cute boys, Anderson? So how many guys have you used this move on? How'd that work out for you?"

Blaine couldn't read Kurt. Not wanting to risk giving Kurt the wrong impression, he placed his plate on the floor and spun on the couch so he was facing Kurt. He stole Kurt's chopsticks, carefully laid them across the plate, and put it next to his. He took Kurt's hands in his and answered earnestly. "It's all talk. I've never made a move on a guy. Period. There's never been a guy I've _wanted_ to make a move on. Not until recently," he emphasized.

"Oh," Kurt breathed.

"Yeah, '_oh'_," Blaine whispered leaning forward slowly, hoping to steal a kiss from Kurt.

Concentrating on not messing this moment up, Blaine failed to hear the basement door opening at the top of the steps. "Blaine Anderson, **what** are you doing?" screeched Nana Sterling.

Nana's question so startled Blaine that he overbalanced, fell on top of Kurt, and, in trying to roll off of him, stumbled and fell off of the couch onto the plates of food he'd carefully placed below.

"_That's_ karma, Blaine Anderson. _That's_ what you get for thinking about not being a gentleman," called Nana before shutting the door again.

Everyone burst out laughing.

"You all suck!" commented Blaine from his position on the floor.

Nick stood up and walked over to Blaine, offering him a hand up. "Come on big boy, let's go get you changed." Seeing Kurt about to clean up the mess on the floor, Nick stopped him. "Uh uh. You are a guest. Jeff can clean that up."

"Me?" Jeff asked incredulously.

Nick nodded. "Yeah, impress Jordan with your willingness to pitch in. I won't even tell her it was my idea," he added, winking at Jordan who was sitting three feet away.

"Ass," muttered Jeff.

Nick, who had been following Blaine towards the stairs, spun and walked directly over to Jordan, handing her his cell phone. "The passcode is YODA. I've got some _great_ pics of Jeff at Dalton. And by _great_, I mean _totally_ embarrassing."

Looking back up at his best friend, Nick explained, "**That** was me being an ass – just so you can tell the difference next time."

* * *

Blaine started to freak out the minute their bedroom door closed. "I can't believe I did that. Shit, Nick. He's gonna think I'm a klutzy idiot, now. What the hell was I thinking?" He struggled to remove his shirt and pants without flinging food everywhere.

Nick stood up from the drawer he'd been digging in. He held up a pair of grey yoga pants and a Dalton hooded sweatshirt. "You were thinking, '_Here's my moment'_. And the guy is head over heels for you. I'm the _straight_ one in our relationship and _I_ can tell that."

Nick walked over to Blaine and gripped his arm. "I'm sorry your moment was ruined by Nana. And I know it was embarrassing when we all laughed. But it was freaking funny, Blaine. And the reason I came all the way up here with you is because I know you're gonna get all obsessive and overthink this. Don't. This time _you_ need to trust _me_. He's totally in to you. So put on these pants, 'cause they make your ass look fantastic. That's according to my **girlfriend**, by the way. You're amazing and all, but still not interested."

Blaine offered his friend a small smile. "Noted. And the sweatshirt?"

"Brings out the gold in your eyes."

"Tori tell you that, too."

"Nope. That one is all me."

Nick opened his arms and allowed Blaine to fall into his hug. "Love you, B."

* * *

It was three in the morning by the time Pete Sterling dragged his exhausted body home. He'd put in enough time with the department to have some say in what shift he worked – and he enjoyed working swing. It did, however, make having a 'normal' relationship difficult. Four days a week he left for work before Rebecca got home, and he was falling asleep just as she was getting up. But the woman who'd stolen his heart seven years ago willingly put up with him, his schedule, and his job. He was determined to make this work, just like his parents and grandparents had.

Pete was used to the house being dark and quiet when he came home, so he was surprised to see the kitchen door closed with light peaking underneath. Opening the door slowly, he peeked in to see Blaine sitting at the kitchen table, coffee mug in hand. It was clear from the messy state of his curls, that Blaine had run his hands through his hair countless times. "Hey, B. Couldn't sleep?"

Blaine didn't look up from his hands which gripped the mug even tighter. "No, not really."

Pete walked over to the kitchen table, flipped a chair around, and straddled it. "What's his name?"

Startled, Blaine looked up. "How'd you know?" he asked quietly before dropping his gaze again.

Pete chuckled softly. "Well, we could pretend it's due to my amazing detective skills, given I worked in the detective bureau for three years. Or, I could say it's because I'm the oldest of five boys – and all four of my brothers have sat here at this table with that same expression on their face due to some matter of the heart. Hell, B, I had countless talks with my grandfather here about Rebecca." Pete was quiet for a few moments, remembering his grandfather fondly.

"But, truthfully, Nana called me-"

Blaine blanched. "Your grandmother called _you_, about _me_?"

Pete reached over and rubbed Blaine's curls fondly. "Not totally. She also wanted be to pick up her prescriptions and to stop by and check on Widow Castleman. But she mentioned you had a friend over. Said you two seemed smitten."

"Smitten?"

"The woman is 88 years old, Blaine. Do you really expect her to say you're hot for each other and hoping to hook up?" Pete answered with laughter in his voice.

Blaine couldn't help but laugh as well. "His name is Kurt."

Pete gestured with his hand for Blaine to continue.

"He's amazing. I mean…yeah, just, amazing. We met at the pool. He's taking swim lessons from me."

Pete leaned back, studying Blaine. "Aye, and there's the rub. Rebecca told you to back off while you're his instructor," Pete stated.

Blaine glanced up at Pete. "Did she tell you that?" He wasn't happy to be the subject of the family gossip train.

Pete could see annoyance flair up in Blaine. "Don't be mad at her. We talk about everything. No secrets. She's concerned, that's all. She said you two have clearly hit it off. My _fiancé_ wants to be supportive of her favorite Lima lifeguard in his new budding romance. Your _boss_ doesn't want you to lose your job because someone accuses you of inappropriate behavior or harassment."

"Kurt wouldn't do that," argued Blaine.

Pete held up a hand. "It doesn't have to be Kurt, B. I'm just saying, any one of the parents in the stands could call in with a complaint. '_It made me uncomfortable to see them that close_.' '_They were inappropriate in front of my children_.' If Parks and Rec found out you were being paid to teach Kurt and were dating him – they'd fire you, no questions asked, no chance for rehire."

Blaine's head made a loud thunk as he hit it against the table. "This sucks."

"Yes. It does. I don't mean to cut to the chase, but it seems to me you either hold off on asking him out, or you quit being his teacher."

Blaine's head shot back up. "I can't quit, Pete. Kurt trusts me. He…he…look, some shit went down when he was little, which is why he never learned to swim. He opened up to me, and yeah, I work with awesome people, but I just don't think he would be willing to share that with someone else. And I don't mean that in quite the egotistical way it sounds. Honestly, I think if I asked him to switch to someone else, I'd lose any chance with him – and he'd just give up on learning to swim."

Pete placed his hand on Blaine's wrist. "Well, it sounds like you're going to have to wait to put the famous Anderson moves on the boy." He saw Blaine smile which was his aim. "B, if he's as amazing as you say he is, he'll still be there when you finish teaching him to swim. Four years. Four years where I only got to spend summers, Thanksgiving, Christmas and spring break with her."

He knew immediately Pete was talking about his own relationship. Blaine pressed his lips together in thought. "Kurt's my Becca? I kinda like that idea."

Pete swung up from the chair. "I thought you might. Have you told him? About…"

Blaine knew exactly to what Pete was referring. Pete had come to Blaine four years ago, shortly after Jeff and Nick had brought him home to the Sterling's house in Westerville, and asked if he was the survivor from the Sadie Hawkin's attack. Blaine had leaned on Pete for emotional support during the trial, knowing he didn't need to explain things to the police officer.

"No. Not yet. We really haven't known each other that long," he admitted.

Pete nodded in understanding. "B- that whole situation seriously messed you up, and it seriously messed you up. Don't let that boy fall in love with you until you can give him 110% of yourself. Warts and all, B. Because the guy you're meant to be with – he's not going to run away, he's going to hold on to you that much tighter."

Blaine turned so Pete wouldn't see him wipe away the tears in his eyes. "Thanks, Pete."

"Anytime, B."

* * *

**End Note: **Farrells Ice Cream Parlor exists, just not in Ohio. The Hot Fudge Volcano Blaine describes is as follows: _Serves 1-10 A lava flow of streaming hot fudge covers 30 (yes 30) scoops of vanilla ice cream delivered by our own island beauties under a pyrotechnic display not seen since the 4th of July. Purely and simply - A Hot Fudge Fanatics Paradise. Served with whipped cream, nuts and cherries. $59.99_

On a more personal note - I'd like to dedicate this portion of the story in the memories of Det. Sgt. Baker and Det. Butler. Your lives were cut short Tuesday defending a city that will forever be close to my heart. May the angels keep you and watch over your loved ones.

K8


	5. Chapter Four: What You Are

_**A/N**: For those of you who have taken the time to add a review, thank you for your kind words. For those of you who have hit the "follow" or "favorite" buttons at the bottom of the page - thank you. This chapter reminds me of a roller coaster - ups and downs. Funny how life is sometimes like that. I won't be posting chapter five until the weekend. Sadly, I must actually get some work done for my real life job that pays my bills. The good news is chapter six is already written (Go figure, my muse brings forth chapaters out of order all the time.)_

_I do not own nor did I create Glee or its characters. I have invited some of the boys to play and will do my best to return them unharmed. The title and chapter titles are selections from Edie Brickell's __What I Am_. This is an A/U where both Blaine and Kurt appear bit more confident than is necessarily portrayed in the show. The rating is due to language. Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoy!

**_Chapter Four: What You Are_**

Since Blaine hadn't been available in the morning to teach a lesson, Kurt had agreed to come in during Blaine's lunch break. Kurt watched as Blaine swam laps in smooth even strokes before rushing to the locker room to change his clothes. Dressed in his swim short and shirt, and wearing his wide-brimmed straw hat, Kurt waved to the other lifeguards as he passed them on the way to the pool. They greeted him warmly, sitting in the shade of the covered umbrellas, eating lunch and listening to the radio.

Despite Blaine's attempts to get Kurt to just jump in the pool, he continued to use the ladder, slowly allowing his body to adjust to the cool temperature of the water. Without warning his hat went flying off of his head, a tanned arm slid around his waist, and Blaine's voice spoke softly in his ear.

"Hold your breath, handsome."

Quickly gulping some air, he was dragged backwards underneath the water, until he was sitting on the bottom of the pool. Blaine swam around him until they were facing each other. He smiled widely at Kurt before giving him a thumbs up. The both broke the surface at the same time.

"Hi!"

"Hi."

Blaine wiped the excess water from his dark curls. "You did so good just now. How do you feel? No jitters, right?"

Kurt held his hands above the water, showing Blaine that his dunking hadn't caused any panic in him. "No shakes. I knew it was you. You aren't going to hurt me." He smiled shyly.

"Okay, then. We're ready for the next step." Blaine took Kurt's hand and walked to deeper water in the middle of the pool. The water level rose from waist high to just below chest level.

"Blaine?" Kurt didn't try to hide the waver in his voice.

Turning to his student, Blaine tried to reassure him. "Look, Kurt, in order to learn to swim, I have to teach you float. We have to do that in deeper water. You'll just drag your feet on the bottom, otherwise. The good news is: once you learn to back float, I can teach you the back stroke. It's a whole stroke you can swim without putting your face in the water. And once you learn that, I'll teach you the side stroke. Don't need to put your face in the water for that one, either," Blaine explained excitedly.

Kurt took a deep breath and then another trying to release his anxiety. "Okay, Blaine. What do I need to do?"

Leaning backwards, Blaine held his arms out from his body pushing his feet up off of the pool bottom. "You're going to become the letter T. Your face and chin goes back away from your chest so you can see the beautiful blue sky and count the clouds. Feet come together. Deep breath. Puff your stomach out like a big, ripe watermelon. Your goal is to float for 30 seconds without putting your feet down." Explanation over, Blaine stood back up.

Kurt looked doubtful. "A watermelon? Really?"

"Oh, shush. You get the idea right?"

"Yes."

"Then why question me, grasshopper?" he teased. Moving behind Kurt, he placed one hand on the small of Kurt's back and the other on his waist. "Lean your head back until it's resting on my shoulder," he instructed. Once Kurt had done that, he began pushing gently on Kurt's back. "Okay, deep breath, and let me help you. I'll keep your head above water."

Shaking a bit from nerves, Kurt rested his head on Blaine's shoulder and held his arms out away from his sides. He heard Blaine's encouraging murmurings in his ear as he willed his feet to kick off the bottom. They just wouldn't cooperate.

"I don't think I can do this," he squeaked out.

"Yes, you can!" Blaine argued firmly. "I know you can. You trust me. Now trust yourself." Blaine brought his left knee up slowly against Kurt's back, lifting his body in the water and his feet from the ground.

Violently twisting his body away, Kurt ended up under the water before realizing which way was up. Sputtering, he stood up and whipped his hair from his eyes.

Blaine had lost the color from his face. "I am **so** sorry, Kurt," he said hoarsely. "Please tell me you're okay."

"I'm fine," he snapped.

Turning his back on Blaine, Kurt moved towards the ladder so he could leave the pool. He had every intention of ending today's lesson right then. It wasn't that he was angry at Blaine, because he wasn't. It was the humiliation he felt. Here he was, taking lessons from the world's most patient instructor - someone who wasn't put off by Kurt's physical appearance, or his voice, or that he was gay – someone who would never laugh at the fact that he was 17 and petrified of being in the water – someone who didn't shy away from touching him – and Kurt still couldn't do it. He could feel a few tears break free which embarrassed him even more. At least they'd blend with the rest of the water dripping off of his body.

"Kurt? Kurt! Please, Kurt, wait!" called Blaine. Diving under the water, Blaine hurriedly swam after the young man. Kurt had reached the ladder and was holding the side rail by the time Blaine caught up. Reaching out, Blaine placed his hand on top of Kurt's and hooked his chin over Kurt's shoulder. "Please don't leave like this, Kurt," he begged in a low voice. "Talk to me. Please? Will you _please_ turn around and look at me?"

Kurt shook his head in the negative.

Blaine slid away from Kurt, shifting to lean against the pool wall. The sound of the water sloshing over into the gutter filled his ears. Glancing over his right shoulder he could see Kurt staring off into space fighting back tears. At least he hadn't climbed out of the pool, yet.

"I pushed you too hard, Kurt. I'm sorry. I promised to listen to you and I didn't. You have every right to be mad at me. I'm mad at me too," he offered.

Kurt swiped the tears from his eyes. "'m not mad," he choked out.

"What?" Blaine asked, turning to face Kurt's profile.

Kurt took a deep shuddering breath and reached out to pick up his straw hat and put it on his head. Facing Blaine, he swallowed hard before finding his voice. "I'm not angry at you, Blaine. You've been nothing but understanding and patient." He stared up at the clear, blue sky, searching for the right words.

"Do you have any idea how hard it is to do this? Of course not. You've been swimming since you were four. I'm so _frustrated_, Blaine. I've spent the last ten years hiding the fact that I can't swim to all of my friends, only to be forced to do this by some archaic rule so I can earn my damn high school diploma. And I come here and meet _you_ in all your amazing swimming glory, all tanned and athletic and perfect. You – all of you – make this look so fucking easy; but it's not. Not for me, anyway. And I get more frustrated, because you give perfectly clear and simple directions on what to do. But I either can't do them, or my body freaks out. And here I am, in tears, again. How fucking pathetic is that?" Kurt was half shouting, half sobbing at this point.

"It's not pathetic, Kur-"

"It **is** pathetic, Blaine. I'm 17. I can't swim. And I'm so _fucking_ scared of what you're asking me to do that I cry. I think I've embarrassed myself enough for one day, Blaine." With that said, Kurt tried to climb out, but was stopped by Blaine who pulled his wrist hard enough to yank him off of the ladder.

"Come here!" There was no mistaking the command in Blaine's voice. He dropped his hand from Kurt's wrist to his hand and carefully but deliberately intertwined their fingers, all while pulling Kurt to him. Blaine realized that it was just the two of them outside – Sometime in the past few minutes the others had left the table and gone inside the office to give the two boys some privacy. "Let me be clear about something, Kurt. You have absolutely **nothing** to be embarrassed about. **Nothing**. You are **not** pathetic. It really hurts me, Kurt, when you talk about yourself like that."

"You've seen me practicing dives here?" Blaine asked. Seeing Kurt's nod, he continued. "I like the springboard. At Dalton we also have a 3 meter platform. Maybe you've seen one? It's only 10 feet off the water. I don't like it as well, but I dive off of it with no problem. Well, last summer Dalton's diving team was invited to attend a training session at Ohio State. They've got a 10 meter diving platform there. That's about 30 feet off the water. All we were supposed to do was climb up and jump off. No flips. No twists. Literally, just step off and fall straight down. Well, I got up there, looked down and pissed myself. Seriously. I froze. I peed. And if Nick hadn't come up to get me and walk me back down the stairs, I'd still be up there shaking."

He could tell that Kurt really listening to his story. "People _get_ scared, Kurt. We freak out. I hate spiders and won't go into a room if I see one on the ceiling. Do you know that people eat an average of eight spiders in their lifetime while sleeping? What the hell is that? Dogs freak me out, too. When I was five, I got trapped in a garden shed with my best friend at her aunt's house by a vicious barking dog. Come to think about it, that's probably where my fear of spiders comes from too – but my point is - I'm still not over it. I avoid dogs as much as I can. I'm 18. I have an unnatural fear of spiders and dogs and heights. Does that make _me_ pathetic?"

"No," acknowledged Kurt.

"C'mere," Blaine asked softly, pulling softly until Kurt was wrapped up in his hug. "You don't mind, do you? 'Cause if you didn't need a hug, I certainly do."

Kurt inhaled shakily.

"I don't want you to feel scared, Kurt. I want you to trust me. I need you to trust that I'm not going to let anything happen to you while we're together." Hearing voices, they pulled away from each other.

A small purple object bounced off of Blaine's head and landed in the water in between them.

"JEFF!"

"Whatever, Anderson," the ultra-blond lifeguard called, bouncing two more frozen grapes off of Blaine's head. "I got tired of waiting for your emotional moment to be over. If I wanted teen drama, I'd watch 90210 or iCarly. Have some grapes." With that Jeff tossed the plastic baggie to Blaine and dove over the two boys into the water. He was followed quickly by Nick and Jordan.

Kurt snuck a couple grapes from the baggie in Blaine's hand. Popping one in his mouth, he was pleasantly shocked at the burst of icy goodness. "Mmmm – it's like a mini slushy"

"Is this your first time eating a frozen grape?" Blaine tried to contain his surprise. "You've been missing out."

"Clearly," he agreed.

"Wait, Kurt's a frozen grape virgin?" asked Jeff, reaching over Kurt's shoulder to snag a grape from his hand. Kurt elbowed him in the chest. "Hey!" Jeff cried.

"Whether I have _been_ with frozen grapes or not, Mr. Sterling, is none of your business. I don't kiss and tell." Kurt paused as Nick and Blaine started to laugh. Raising his eyebrow and giving Jeff his best bitch face, he added, "And…I would never. Ever. Steal. Another. Man's. Grapes."

Jeff's grin was infectious. Kurt couldn't help but smile back at his blond friend.

"Boys! Jordan! Get the food out of the pool. It's time to set up for the afternoon classes," called Rebecca from the office doorway.

"See you soon, Kurt," called Jeff as he followed Nick and Jordan to the deep end of the pool to pull the lane lines out of the gutter and into proper position.

"Bye." Kurt looked over at Blaine, who handed him the baggie of grapes.

"Can you take these out with you?"

Kurt shrugged. "Of course."

"Are we okay?" Blaine asked tentatively, glancing down into the water before meeting Kurt's gaze.

Kurt reached out under the water to take Blaine's hand. "We were never not okay, Blaine. Will you call me later, so we can talk…about when we can meet up again? Maybe, talk about other stuff too?"

Blaine felt butterflies take flight in his stomach. "Yeah, totally! I'll call you tonight when I get home, okay?"

"Sounds good." Kurt's attention was pulled by a gaggle of children who all seemed headed their way screaming _"Mr. Blaine! Ms. Meghan! Mr. Blaine! Ms. Meghan_!" "You're being invaded, Anderson. Good luck! Looks like you might need it."

Kurt climbed out of the pool, snatched up his hat from the pool deck and headed straight into the locker room. Blaine's gaze followed him the entire way until Meghan nudged him, bringing his attention back to the five squirming members of his guppy class. And because his attention was focused on his job, instead of the boy who was quickly stealing his heart, he missed the two older teens – who weren't enrolled in lessons – who followed Kurt into the locker room.

* * *

Little Paul Jacobs may have only been four years old, but he was a smart guy. Well, that's what his grandma tells him when he stays over at her house. She had picked him up today from preschool, took him to lunch at McDonald's where he got his favorite – a hamburger with ketchup with French fries **and** she allowed him to have a soda – as a treat, before bringing him to his swim lesson with Mr. Blaine and Miss Meghan.

He was sure it was the soda at lunch. That was why he had to go pee in the middle of the swim lesson. Mr. Blaine had given them a "big talk" on the first day about never ever peeing in the pool because it would hurt the magic fish under the water. So he asked Mr. Blaine to lift him out so he could go use the potty in the locker room.

"Okay, Paulie. You hurry back, but don't…"

"RUN!" shouted all five children in the guppy class.

This was why Paul came into the locker room unexpectedly. And he might only be four years old, but he knew something was "most unacceptable" as Grandma would say. There was one boy on the ground in the shower. He was crying. Paul thought that it might be the same boy who was friends with Mr. Blaine because he'd watched Mr. Blaine teaching him to swim.

Two boys were standing over him, yelling and calling him names. _And_ they were using words that Grandma and Mama said were _unacceptable_. He had been promised a washing out of his mouth with soap if he ever used words like those. He'd accidentally tried soap once, in the shower. It was 'gusting. He didn't ever want to use those words.

Paul knew that friends didn't make each other cry. And friends didn't call names or use bad words. It was time for him to "_do the right thing_." They'd talked at school about what little kids like him could do if they saw someone who needed help. Paul knew he needed to get an adult. He would go get Mr. Blaine. Mr. Blaine would make those other boys stop being mean.

Heading out of the locker room, Paul ran right into Ms. Rebecca standing by the office door. "Ms. Rebecca! Ms. Rebecca!" Paul shouted. He grabbed her hand, tugging her towards the boys locker room.

"Whoa there, Paulie! Where's the fire?" asked Rebecca with amusement.

Paul stopped pulling and looked at her with his very serious expression. "Ms. Rebecca, are you even allowed to go into the boys' room?"

"Yes, if it's an emergency." Rebecca knelt down so she could peer into the boy's eyes. "What's up, Paul?"

"Ms. Rebecca, I went in there to go potty because I had soda at lunch and grandma said it was a treat and what happens at grandma's stays at grandma's and there was a boy in the shower except he's on the floor and he's crying and there are two other boys yelling at him and saying bad words and calling names and I know I'm supposed to get an adult to help," he answered in one breath.

"You did exactly the right thing, Paulie," Rebecca offered as she stood and blew her whistle in one long sharp blast. All of the lifeguards immediately looked her way, and the entire pool area quieted down instantaneously.

"Scott!" She waved for the OSU student to leave his junior lifeguarding class at the far end of the pool and come over. Making eye contact with Jordan who sat in the lifeguard's chair, she called out, "Jordan! Cover for Scott." She immediately climbed down from her perch and walked over to his students.

Dani came up behind Rebecca from the pool office. "I need you to cover for Blaine." Nodding once, Dani jogged over to the guppy class and jumped into the shallow end of the pool, "Hey, guys!" she greeted. "Mr. Blaine needs to go help Ms. Rebecca with something important, so I'm gonna help Ms. Meghan out," she explained with a pointed look at Blaine. "What are we working on today?"

"BUBBLES!" shouted the class.

"Excellent!"

Blaine pushed himself up out of the pool and trekked over to Rebecca. Seeing Paulie still wiggling at her side, Blaine encouraged the boy to join the class.

"But Mr. Blaine, I still have to pee."

"Go use the girls' locker room, Paulie. You have my permission," Rebecca offered distractedly. Once the young boy moved off, she made eye contact with both lifeguards. "Paulie reported someone's in there crying and being yelled at by two other boys. I need you two to be professional. Period."

Scott and Blaine stood behind her as she pulled open the locker room door.

"God, Hummel, why are you here? Trying to infect all these little kids with your fairy dust? Checking them out? That's sick! Fags like you shouldn't be allowed in public places." The voices echoed sharply off the tile walls.

"Oh my god," whispered Blaine. "It's Kurt."

"STOP! That's enough."

Rebecca's rage was barely contained as she stared down the two teens in front of her. Forcing herself to maintain control, she bit off her next words. "Get the hell out of this locker room. Now! Scott, get them out on the pool deck. Have _any_ parent call 911. They don't leave until the police are here." Her eyes never left the bullies' faces.

"WHAT? Who do you think you are?"

"You can't hold us against our will."

"Shut. Up. You wanna push me? You'll see exactly who you're dealing with and exactly how far I'll take this, gentlemen. Move! Now!" she ground out.

Scott moved around Rebecca and motioned the boys towards the door. They grumbled, but moved. While they might have been willing to press their luck with Blaine or Rebecca, at six feet four inches of solid muscle, Scott's physical stature gave him a decided advantage over the teens and they knew it.

As soon as they left the locker room, Blaine shot out from behind Rebecca and flew to Kurt's side. He froze for a moment before wrapping his arms around Kurt and gathering the sobbing boy close.

Rebecca moved cautiously to kneel down on the other side of Kurt, not wanting to spook the boy too much. She placed her hand on his knee, gently squeezing to let him know she was there. "Kurt? Kurt, honey? Are you okay? Are you hurt?" she asked quietly.

Kurt's head was buried in the crook of Blaine's neck and he was desperate to bring his sobs under control. He'd been petrified. After his horrifying experience involving Karofsky, Kurt didn't know what to expect. Would they just yell? Hit him? Do other things? But they were gone now, and Kurt could just barely process Blaine's soft murmurings.

"Shhh. It's okay. You're okay, Kurt. I've got you. Shhh."

"S.s. ." Kurt managed to snuffle out.

Rebecca leaned over to wipe the tears off of Blaine's cheeks. Ones that Kurt couldn't see. "You have nothing to be sorry about, Kurt." She swallowed hard. "Take him home, Blaine. We'll cover the rest of your shift. Call me if you need a ride home." With that she stood slowly, and left the two teens alone.

It took a few minutes, but Kurt was finally able to stop crying. It took a few more minutes after that before he was willing to pull away from Blaine. Not that he would admit it to anyone, but was nice being wrapped up in the arms of the handsome lifeguard. Blaine didn't shy away from touching him. It felt comfortable. Eventually, though, he knew he had to move away, before things got awkward.

Blaine felt a bit empty when Kurt finally pulled away. He could see an apology forming in the other boy's eyes, and moved to cut it off before it was voiced. "Don't even say you're sorry. I'm glad I could be here for you."

Kurt wiped the final wetness from his eyes. "Okay. Well, then, thank you. Thank you for being my human tissue."

"Anytime, Kurt." Blaine smiled softly. "And you never know – one day I may need you to return the favor." Before he could see the surprise in Kurt's eyes, Blaine stood and walked over to a long locker. Spinning the locker dial, he opened the door, grabbed a t-shirt and shrugged it on, removed his duffle bag and a towel before returning to Kurt. Pulling Kurt up from the floor of the shower, Blaine carefully wrapped the towel around him. "Come on, I'm going to take you home now," he explained softly.

Kurt pulled away and looked into Blaine's eyes. "You…you can't Blaine. You have to work."

Slowly shaking his head, Blaine raised his hands to Kurt's shoulders and gently squeezed. "No. I'm taking you home. Rebecca knows. I'm not letting you drive like this."

"But, how…how will you get back here?" Kurt asked frantically.

Blaine pulled Kurt back to him, again wrapping Kurt in an embrace, moving his hands up and down Kurt's back in a soothing gesture. "Shhhh. I know it's hard, but don't worry about me right now. I need to worry about you. I need to know that you're okay. I need to make sure you're home safe. Please let me do this for you, Kurt." Blaine heard his voice start to crack, as the emotions he was furiously trying to stuff down fought to break free again.

Kurt found himself burrowing into the crook of Blaine's neck once more, trying to soak in as much of the comfort that Blaine was offering. He trusted Blaine, that much was clear. He just didn't want Blaine to get into trouble for missing work. But if Rebecca was okay with it, then what was the harm in having Blaine drive him home?

"If you're sure it's okay with Rebecca?"

Blaine let out a deep sigh of relief. "Yes, Kurt, it's fine. You can ask her yourself, if it will make you feel better."

Kurt lifted his head up once again. "You won't think it's because I don't trust you? Because I do, you know. Trust you."

Blaine offered a shy smile. "I know, Kurt. Ask her. I'm not going to feel bad."

"How did I get so lucky?" Kurt asked in a whisper.

"What do you mean?" asked Blaine.

Kurt pulled away and began to bite his lower lip. "I don't know what I did to deserve to have a friend like you in my life, Blaine."

"Kurt, that's…that's, like, ridiculous. You're, like, the most amazing guy in all of Ohio. _I'm_ blessed to have _you_ in _my_ life."

"That's silly, B"

"Yeah, whatever. Get changed. I don't want you sitting in your wet swimsuit in your car." Blaine went to move away when Kurt reached out and grabbed his wrist tight.

"Don't."

"What?"

"Don't go. Please. Stay here. With me. While I change. Please." Kurt had lost his color at the thought of being alone in the locker room.

"It's okay, Kurt. I'll stay. I'm just going to change out of my trunks. I'll be in here the whole time. I was just gonna give you some privacy." Seeing Kurt start to panic, he added, "I'm just go over here to the end of the bench. I'll count tiles or something when I'm changed. Let me know when you're done," he mumbled.

Quicker than expected, Kurt called out, "I'm ready."

Wearing street clothes and shoes, they walked outside. Blaine noted that Rebecca was speaking with several Lima police officers while the two bullies sat on the ground. He could feel Kurt starting to tense up, so he wrapped his arm around Kurt's slender waist, steering him into the pool office. They could go through the front door and save Kurt from having to walk past the assholes who'd tormented him earlier.

As they exited the building, Blaine asked for Kurt's car keys. They were arguing over who was going to drive, Blaine's arm still wrapped around Kurt's waist, when Blaine walked right into Jeff's older brother. "Pete!" he said in surprise dropping his arm from where it had been comfortably resting.

Pete Sterling stood in front of the teens in his Lima police department uniform. He'd made sergeant 18 months ago, which had come with a significant increase in both responsibility and pay. It's when he'd finally got up his courage and proposed to Rebecca. He worked swing shift, but had been pulling some overtime because the day sergeant was out on maternity leave. "Hey, Blaine. Heard there was some trouble over here, so I decided to swing by." Taking note of the other boy, Pete asked, "Who's this?"

Blaine pocketed the keys he'd forced from Kurt and made the introductions. "Kurt, I'd like to introduce you to Sergeant Pete Sterling. He's Jeff's oldest brother and the lucky guy marrying Rebecca in the fall. Pete, this is Kurt Hummel. He's been taking lessons here." There was so much more Blaine could add, but chose not to.

Pete nodded his understanding. "Ohh. Kurt. As in _your_ Kurt," he said as certain pieces fell into place. _This_ was the young man Blaine was harboring an enormous crush on.

Kurt contemplated the deep flush that graced Blaine. "_Your_ Kurt?" he repeated- the subtle request for an explanation clear in his tone.

Blaine fumbled for an explanation. "Um, well, we talk about work at home. The others talk about you being my Kurt, because, well, y. 're _my_ student."

"Oh."

There was so much feeling behind that simple syllable. Blaine's heart dropped into his stomach. He didn't know what he was doing. He barely understood what he was feeling. And both Rebecca and Pete had made it clear that asking Kurt out while he was being employed to teach him how to swim was crossing a line. God, he just wanted to tell Kurt the whole truth.

Instead, he did what he was supposed to. "Pete, I've gotta drive Kurt home. Becca will explain things. If you need to talk to Kurt, you can call me and I'll give you his address."

A perplexed expression crossed Pete's face but he responded, "Understood."

Blaine reached out tentatively taking hold of Kurt's elbow. "Where'd you park?"

Kurt gestured towards the right side of the parking lot with his head. "Over there." He started towards his car, aware that Blaine's hand slid down his arm and found its way into his own. It was soothing, even as it left him perplexed. What message was Blaine sending him? Was there even a message to send? Kurt decided that he didn't really care at that point. If the beautiful boy wanted to hold his hand, he wasn't going to complain. Or pull away.

They reached Kurt's Navigator and Blaine walked Kurt to the passenger side, opening the door for him. As Kurt slid in, Blaine blurted out, "Your hands are like ice, Kurt." Horrified at his lack of tact, Blaine immediately started trying to explain himself. "I.I.I mean. Um, shit. I'm sorry, Kurt. I don't mean that in a bad way. It's just-"

Amused at the flustered Blaine, Kurt watched as he unzipped his duffle and pulled out a dark navy hooded sweatshirt. Blaine held it out for Kurt to take, which he did.

"Here's my hoodie. Maybe it will help. You can wear it. If you want to, I mean." He closed the door to the car and jogged around to the driver's side. By the time climbed inside, Kurt was wearing his sweatshirt. That sight just _did_ things to him.

Kurt buried his nose into the sweatshirt and inhaled. Seeing Blaine's stare, he explained, "it smells like you. Without the chlorine." He fiddled with the GPS unit for a moment. "There. Now the car can take you to my house. I think I'd like to take a power nap. If that's okay with you?"

"Yeah. Yeah, sure, Kurt. I'll wake you when we get there." He watched as Kurt curled up onto the seat, made a pillow out of the hood of his sweatshirt, and closed his eyes. Kurt looked impossibly young and impossibly beautiful. And Blaine was falling for him faster than he ever thought possible.

* * *

Blaine had pulled up to the Hummel residence, turned off the engine, and debated what to do next. Kurt was snoring quietly. It was actually quite adorable. But Blaine was hesitant to wake him up just yet, clearly sensing that after the day's events, Kurt needed the rest.

Making up his mind, Blaine exited the car and went up the front walk to the door. When no one came to his repeated ringings of the doorbell, he tried the keys on key ring until he found the one that opened the door. Walking in, he found the family room not far from the entryway. He could carry Kurt in there, and surely there would be a couch for him to nap on.

Leaving the door open when he went back outside, Blaine carefully opened the passenger door, unfastened Kurt's seat belt and slid his arms under Kurt's knees and back. Hoisting Kurt to his chest, he swung around and bumped the door closed with his butt. He did the same thing with the front door, and moments later he had Kurt on the couch, still asleep.

Blaine decided that everyone was more comfortable napping without shoes – so he sat down at the far end of the couch, and slowly undid the laces of Kurt's shoes, removing them and his socks. He glanced up and saw Kurt's eyes flutter open and shut.

"Carried me in?" he mumbled.

"Yeah. I didn't wanna wake you. You looked so peaceful," whispered Blaine.

"Going back?" Kurt asked.

"Nah. I'll stay until someone else comes home." Blaine reached over to take Kurt's hand. It was much warmer than twenty minutes ago.

"Could call my dad," Kurt muttered, not wanting to fully wake up.

"In a hurry to get rid of me?" teased Blaine quietly.

"No!" came Kurt's quick reply.

Blaine rubbed his thumb over Kurt's knuckles slowly. "Well, maybe we don't need to make anyone rush home to check on you. Seeing as you already have someone to take care of you. If you want." Blaine's gaze was on their hands, so he missed Kurt's reaction to his quiet words.

Kurt cleared his throat before murmuring, "C'mere."

Blaine felt Kurt tug on the hand he was holding. Next thing he knew, Blaine was lying next to Kurt on the couch, face to face, one arm curled under Kurt's head as a pillow and the other stroking circles on his back. "Go back to sleep, Kurt," he suggested.

"Don't wanna," answered Kurt with a pout that only made Blaine want to lean over to kiss it off of his face.

"Kurt."

Kurt hid his face in Blaine's shirt. "Blaine." He tightened his hold on Blaine, reaching one arm up to play with the soft curls at the nape of his neck. "I don't ever feel like this. Safe. And I don't want to go to sleep only to wake up and find it gone. You gone." Kurt had barely gotten the words out before he started trembling.

Blaine pulled Kurt tightly against him, kicked off his shoes, and wrapped one of his legs over Kurt's, hoping that his proximity would help Kurt feel secure. "You aren't alone, Kurt. You are never ever going to be alone again." He spent long moments just holding Kurt while holding a silent argument in his mind over whether to share with Kurt the most painful incident of the 18 years of his life. Finally, the desire to be completely honest with Kurt won out. "Let me tell you a story. It's not a nice story, but…well, it's my story, and it's the only one I've got."

It took Blaine the better part of an hour to share with Kurt the story of his coming out – of the Sadie Hawkins Dance and being beaten within an inch of his life– of being hospitalized for months and losing his friends, losing a year of school, losing himself. Transferring to Dalton Academy for Boys. Finding himself again, piece by piece. Nick. Jeff. The Warblers. All of it came tumbling out. He allowed Kurt to see his tears and wipe them away. He allowed Kurt to comfort him in ways that no one else ever could.

Finally, he ended by placing his hands on either side of Kurt's face bringing their foreheads together softly. "You are not alone, Kurt. I get it. I understand. I know what it's like. So when you start to doubt that, you have to call me. I don't care what time of day. I don't care where we are in the world. You call me, so I can remind you that you aren't alone. And someone out there cares and understands." Without conscious thought he moved to place a chaste kiss on Kurt's forehead.

Kurt stared into Blaine's honey colored eyes. "How is it you don't have a boyfriend?" he asked in awe.

Blaine swallowed hard. "I.I.I think I w-was just waiting for the right guy to walk into my world," he answered hoarsely.

Kurt raised an eyebrow. "Was?"

Blaine could feel himself flushing. He pulled Kurt back into his embrace, resting his chin on the top if Kurt's head. "I'm thinking I may have met him. Still waiting to see how things play out," he admitted softly.

Kurt sighed softly. "He must be really special."

Blaine smiled into Kurt's hair, pulling him closer. "Yeah, he is. Go to sleep Kurt."

Yawning, Kurt raised his head so he could place a soft kiss on Blaine's jaw before snuggling back down into his embrace. "Night, B."

* * *

It had been mid-afternoon when Burt noticed a Chevy Tahoe with Lima Police Department emblazoned across the door pulling up to his tire shop. Walking outside, his heart stopped for a moment when Rebecca Michaels exited the vehicle, followed by an officer. Her immediate call of, "Kurt's fine, Mr. Hummel," alleviated his most pressing anxieties. Regardless, something had clearly happened at the pool.

He'd ushered the young woman and the officer, who turned out to be her fiancé, into his office where they all sat down. Rebecca explained about the verbal assault, her decision to press for the young men to be cited for their crime, and her request that Blaine take Kurt home.

Burt thanked her for everything she'd done for his son. It struck him as unusual that she had left her job to come tell him in person what she could have easily told him over the phone. "Shouldn't you be at work?" he asked kindly.

She shrugged. "I had to go down to the station to swear out my statement. Scott's managing the pool for the afternoon. I'm sure they managed to get someone else to sub in." She stopped for a long moment. "I'm not sure I'd be any good there right now anyway," she answered quietly.

"Hey! Bec, this isn't your fault. You did everything you could." Pete moved to push some of her hair behind her ear. "You did everything right."

She glared at her fiancé, who knew the anger in her eyes wasn't directed at him. "Knowing that doesn't make me feel any better Peter. That could have been Kyle. It could still be Kyle. It makes me sick to think about what those boys were saying. You didn't hear them. You didn't see Kurt," her voice broke as tears began to streak down her face.

"Your brother is very lucky to have a sister who cares about him so much," observed Burt. He moved around the desk to stand in front of Rebecca. "I've known for a very long time that Kurt was gay. And it kills me inside to know that his life is going to be harder because of ignorant, fearful people like those boys today. I try every day to make him feel loved and supported and safe. What you did today? Standing up for him? Making him feel supported and safe? That's the best gift you could ever give my son. Your fiancé's right, Ms. Michaels. You did everything right by my son. So thank you."

Burt had given a lengthy hug to the younger woman and a firm handshake to the sergeant before walking them out of the shop. He'd told his assistant manager that he was leaving for the day, and drove home so he could see for himself that Kurt was okay.

Closing the front door behind him, he was surprised to hear nothing. No television. No voices. But Kurt's Navigator was parked in the driveway, so surely he was home. Stepping into the family room, he found the reason for the quiet. Two boys wrapped in each other's arms, deeply asleep. Kurt had the same relaxed facial expression he used to have as a toddler sleeping with his favorite stuffed bunny, Mr. Peebles. It struck Burt just how much trust Kurt must have in Blaine."

He flashed back to the conversation the two of them had had while he was recovering from his heart attack:

_"Why can't I walk hand and hand down the hall with someone that I like? Why can't I slow dance at my prom?" challenged Kurt_

_ Burt sighed. He understood where Kurt was coming from, even if his son didn't feel that right now. It was just that he had a father's desire to protect his son wrestling with a need to have Kurt acknowledge responsibility for some of his actions. "C'mere. You think I don't want those things for you? I do. You know, until you find someone as open and as brave as you, you're just going to have to get used to going it alone."_

Burt was a tad overwhelmed. It was one thing to have a conversation with your teenage son about the idea of falling in love, of being a partner to someone. It was quite another to come home after hearing your son was terrorized by homophobic bullies – expecting he needed comfort - to find him curled up asleep on the couch, in the arms of a young man you hardly knew. When did _this_ happen? He was **so** not ready for this - any more than he'd been ready to find Finn asleep in bed with Rachel Berry last month.

The front door crashed open as Finn and Puck came bursting in, engaged in a loud argument. The noise jerked both Kurt and Blaine awake. Unfortunately, Blaine ended up falling off of the couch, knocking his head soundly against the coffee table.

"Owww, shit! That hurt," whined Blaine.

"Oh my god, Blaine? Are you okay? What time is it?" asked Kurt sleepily. He reached out to rub the back of Blaine's head.

"A little after 4:30," offered Burt, somewhat pleased to see the boys jolt in surprise.

Kurt's eyes shot to his father's face as he yanked his hand back. "Dad! Oh my god, Dad. It's not what it looks like. I swear." He swung his legs off of the couch and offered a helping hand to Blaine. He could feel himself flushing. "I mean, yes, we were sleeping, but it's not as bad as you're probably thinking."

Blaine felt frozen in place. Mr. Hummel had caught them asleep on the couch. God, he was probably jumping to all kinds of conclusions about what he and Kurt had been up to – alone for hours in an empty house. This was so not the impression he wanted to make on Kurt's dad. The fact that Burt hadn't exploded yet gave him a glimmer of hope. His father would have had Kurt out the door within 30 seconds of finding them together and he would have placed Blaine on restriction until graduation. Or even longer.

Finn, oblivious to the tension in the room, wandered in and turned on the television. "Hey, dudes," he called in greeting to Kurt and Blaine, giving a nod in their direction. Puck followed shortly thereafter, carrying a large bowl of popcorn and a twelve pack of cola. "You're home early, Burt. You gonna watch the Reds game with us?" Finn asked, standing since Kurt and Blaine were seated on the couch.

"Sounds good," remarked Burt. Taking a seat in his recliner, Burt decided to extend an olive branch of sorts. Not that it was really needed, but he did want Blaine to know that wasn't going to lop off the young man's head anytime soon. "So, Blaine, would you like to stay and watch the game as well? Have dinner with us?"

"Um…" Blaine was still rubbing the back of his head, checking his fingers for any sign of bleeding.

Burt interrupted the teen. "Look, kid, Rebecca stopped by the shop. Told me what happened today. I appreciate your taking the time to make sure Kurt got home safely. And that he was okay once you got here. So if you don't have anything you have to run off to - stay."

Finn stared at Kurt. "Dude, is everything okay?" he asked with concern. Ever since Burt and his mom had gotten married, Finn had tried to look after Kurt as much as the other boy would let him. He knew Kurt didn't share a lot of what went down at McKinley between him and the jocks. But that didn't mean Finn didn't want to help, that he didn't care.

Kurt sighed, determined to not make a huge deal about what had happened now that he finally was starting to feel better. "It's fine now, Finn. I'll tell you about it later."

Puck sprawled down on the floor next to Kurt's legs and offered up some of the popcorn to the boys. "Seriously, Princess, if some asshat needs a beat-down, you know you only need to ask."

Kurt rolled his eyes. "Thanks, Puck. It's cool. Blaine and two other lifeguards took care of the situation for me."

Puck looked around Kurt at Blaine. "You're a lifeguard, huh?"

"Yeah," acknowledged Blaine.

"So, like, have you saved anyone from drowning? And are the chicks as hot as on that t.v. show?" Puck handed Blaine a cola, and waited expectantly for an answer.

Popping the soda can open, Blaine sipped slowly to alleviate his dry throat and to buy time while he decided how honest to be with this guy he'd never met. Kurt seemed to be at ease with him, so that was a point in his favor. "Yes. And, I guess."

"What do you mean you guess?" Puck asked incredulously.

Blaine held Puck's gaze as he answered calmly. "I mean, I guess that the _women_ I work with are hot. I'm not exactly in a position to make that call. I can tell you, however, that the guys I work with are _damn_ fine. Hotties with swimmer bodies. Wide shoulders, trim waists. Tan. They're also all straight, which does me no good what-so-ever." He turned to Kurt and winked.

Puck burst out laughing. "Guess I had that coming. So how many people have you saved? And how exactly did they thank you?"

Kurt smacked Puckerman hard on the arm. "Enough!"

Blaine leaned over Kurt's lap to help himself to a handful of the popcorn from the bowl in Puck's lap. "Six. And I didn't get a single phone number out of any of them," he teased. Sitting back up, he offered Kurt some of the kernels he was holding. "And, for the record, rescuing breathing is much harder than they ever make it seem on television. And if you ever have to do it – I highly recommend using a face shield." Blaine dug into his pocket, and pulled out his key ring where a small pouch with his portable face shield hung. "Because being puked on while giving mouth-to-mouth _really_, _really_ sucks."

Everyone in the room was staring at him. He shrugged, deciding that changing the conversation was the best course of action. "Um, so Burt, what are the Reds chances of winning tonight? I hear they're having problems with finding reliable pitching." The conversation shifted to baseball, something the other guys were more comfortable discussing.

After an hour of watching the game, Blaine needed to stretch the kinks out of his back. He stood and leaned forward and back, then side to side, causing his back to pop rather loudly. "Sorry," he muttered before sitting down and draping his arm over the back of the couch behind Kurt. He noted that Kurt was still wearing his Dalton sweatshirt. He could feel his heartbeat pick up at the thought. It may have stopped altogether when Kurt leaned over to rest his head on Blaine's shoulder.

"Still tired?" he whispered in Kurt's ear while watching the pitch count.

Kurt moved his head in the affirmative. "A bit. You're comfy. I'm not really in to sports. Usually, I read," Kurt explained quietly.

Risking rejection of some sort, Blaine dropped his arm down from the couch to rest on Kurt's shoulders. "You could get something to read. I wouldn't mind."

"Nah. Too lazy. And you're too comfy. You don't mind do you?" Kurt asked. Fighting to keep his eyes open, Kurt snuggled further into Blaine and wrapped an arm around Blaine's waist.

Blaine inhaled deeply at the contact. "No. I'm honored to be your pillow. C'mere." Blaine pulled him closer. "Rest." He wasn't sure, but he thought Kurt might have called him a dork before slipping off to sleep yet again.

* * *

After the game had finished, they'd all managed to stuff themselves full of pizza for dinner. Kurt had insisted his father share a veggie pizza with low fat cheese with him, but Blaine was certain he saw Finn slip the man a small slice of the combination the other boys were sharing. When they had finished cleaning up the kitchen, Blaine mentioned calling Rebecca to come pick him up. Kurt had refused to allow him to do so.

"That's ridiculous, Blaine. I'll take you home. It's the least I can do."

Finn and Puck had called out their goodbyes from their places in front of the television where they were currently playing video games. "You should totally come hang with us again," Puck offered in invitation. "I totally have questions."

Burt walked Blaine and Kurt out to the Navigator. Following Blaine to the passenger side, he stopped him from getting in to the car. "Thank you. Things haven't been easy for Kurt for a while now. He tries to keep a lot of it from me which I'm not exactly happy about. But it's clear to me how much he trusts you and I'm glad he has you as a friend. You're welcome here anytime, Blaine."

"Thank you, sir." Blaine bit his lip nervously. "I'm. I'm really sorry for what you saw this afternoon."

Burt raised his eyebrow. "Why would you be sorry? Do you have something you should be sorry about? Because what I saw was a very good friend of my son helping my son process the traumatic event he went through today. It wasn't more than that was it, Blaine?"

"No, sir."

"Well, then don't be sorry for helping someone out. Have a good evening, Blaine. Hope to see you around some time soon. Oh, and thanks for not telling Kurt about that piece of pizza," he added with a wink.

Blaine grinned. "You're welcome, Mr. Hummel. And thanks."

* * *

Kurt pulled his Navigator into the driveway of a Craftsman style home and turned off the motor. The only light came from the porch. Turning to the passenger seat, he offered a shy smile to Blaine. Butterflies in his stomach took flight when Blaine smiled back. "So…"

Blaine glanced down at his hands. "Will you come back?" he asked tentatively.

"To the pool?" Kurt was clearly surprised.

"Yeah." Blaine looked up to stare at the flag hung off of the front of the house. "I mean, I would totally understand if you didn't want to come back."

"This is Lima, Blaine. Jerks like that seem to find me wherever I go. If I kept running away, the only place I'd have left would be my house," Kurt reflected. Trying to lighten the mood a bit, he added, "Besides, I'm much too young and much too fashionable to be housebound at 17. Plus, I'd have to get a couple cats. And cats shed. And you remember what I said about being fashionable?"

Blaine chuckled and turned to Kurt. "I've noticed. You're usually a bit overdressed when you come to the pool. Well, for Lima anyway. Do you have an idea of when you want to schedule your next lesson?"

"I'm scheduled to work in my dad's shop tomorrow. All day. I could do the next day, though. Morning or lunchtime?"

Blaine bit his bottom lip as he thought about his schedule. "Friday's a special schedule at the pool. No swim lessons. No open swim. We're doing testing for the junior lifeguards most of the day."

"Well then-"

"Hey, don't interrupt," chastised Blaine. "As I was saying, we're testing them _most_ of the day, but not _all_ of the day. Do you think you could come by around 10:30?

"Sure."

"Excellent. It's a date." That gave Blaine an idea. "Tell you what, Mr. Hummel."

"What, Mr. Anderson?"

"If you float, on your back, for a full minute and you front float across the shallow end by the end of Friday's lesson, I, Blaine Anderson will take you to lunch. Your pick. Except I'll need to be back by 12:45. Sorry." He shrugged with his apology.

Kurt giggled. "So, it'd be like a lunch date?"

"Yep. But don't expect me to be fashionably dressed. I will agree to wear shorts, a t-shirt, and sandals." Blaine ticked each item off on his fingers as Kurt laughed louder. "None of those items will include cat hair."

"You, Blaine Anderson, are a dork."

Laughing, Blaine slid out of the SUV and shut the door. Kurt waited until he had unlocked and opened the front door to begin backing down the driveway. Holding up his hand in a wave, he whispered to himself, "Yeah, Kurt Hummel, but I'm your dork."


	6. Chapter Five: Shallow Waters

**A/N**: I apologize for the wait on this chapter. Having taken the age old advice, 'write what you know', I am basing much of this story on the three summers I spent teaching swim lessons at our local city pool. Most of what I have included, or will include, that relates to the day to day running of the pool, or the 'accidents' that occur in the pool have happened to me or near me (just not all in one summer). Thank you again to those of you who have favorited this story and/ or taken the time to review. It is a beautiful way to start my mornings. Good news: Chapter Six is written and ready to go. I will post it Sunday 3/17.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Glee or its characters. I have invited some of the boys to play and will do my best to return them unharmed. The title and chapter titles are selections from Edie Brickell's _What I Am_. This is an A/U set during the summer before Kurt and Blaine enter their senior years at McKinley and Dalton respectively. Blaine is a year older that Kurt and repeated 9th grade; Kurt never went to Dalton. Both boys are a bit more confident than is necessarily portrayed in the show (more like season 2 Blaine & season 3 Kurt). The rating is due to language. Thank you for reading! Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter Five**:_ Shallow Waters_

Nick Duvall was a saint.

Nick's parents had given their son a car on his 16th birthday. A 2008 Honda Civic. The Duvalls were practical parents. While they were willing to spend their money providing a quality education to their children, and were even willing to provide safe, reliable transportation to those same children – they didn't believe in flashing their wealth to others. If Nick wanted a newer, shinier car – he was welcome to get a job and save up.

Frankly, Nick had better things to spend his money on than upgrading his car that ran perfectly well.

When Kurt had managed to meet all the stipulations of their bet, Blaine had gone to Nick and asked to borrow the car for 90 minutes, fully expecting to have to sweet talk his friend or to outright bribe him. Instead, Nick just smiled knowingly and tossed the keys to Blaine. "If you have time, would you stop and top off the tank?" was all he had asked.

Having finished their lunch, Blaine was behind the wheel, while Kurt navigated them through the streets of Lima towards his dad's tire shop.

"What time is it?" Kurt asked.

"Just past noon. Why?"

"Need to know if you have time to stop for five minutes at my dad's shop, or if you're just gonna throw me out and keep going," explained Kurt.

"Hardly, Kurt. We've got some time. Curfew's 12:45."

"Curfew? Don't you mean _work_?"

"Yeah, well, whatever. I'm enjoying our lunch date that is not a _date_-_date_. Having to go back at a specific time feels like a curfew," admitted Blaine.

Kurt smiled in amusement. "What _is_ your curfew?"

Blaine glanced quickly at Kurt then shrugged. "I don't have one. Well, not when I'm at home in Westerville. My parents aren't really around a lot. Dalton requires us to be in our rooms by 11pm, Sunday through Thursday, and 1am, on Fridays and Saturdays. Nana Sterling keeps to that same policy – but we mostly just hang out there. Do you have one?"

"No," answered Kurt, shaking his head. "Well, kinda. Dad trusts me and I always tell him where I'm going and who I'm going with – it's never been an issue. But when Finn and Carole moved in, Dad said I needed to respect Carole's curfew rules. So, _technically_ I have a curfew – but it's never been implemented."

"Do you think your dad will enforce it once we start going out?" Blaine asked quietly.

Kurt reached over to take Blaine's hand off the steering wheel and held it loosely. "Kinda sure of yourself, there, aren't you _Anderson_? We haven't even had our official real first date, and you're already planning for _more_?" he teased gently, running his thumb in small circles on the palm of Blaine's hand.

It was all Blaine could do to focus on not driving off the road, while Kurt continued to caress his hand – completely unaware of the desire it was fueling. Signaling to make the turn, Blaine pulled into the parking lot for Hummel Tires and Lube and parked the car before turning to face Kurt. "Yes. I am." His voice an octave lower than normal, Blaine answered with more confidence than he actually felt.

Kurt exhaled heavily, as Blaine's words sunk in. He knew from the heat coming off of him, he must be sporting a bright flush. As the proverbial butterflies took flight in his stomach, Kurt closed his eyes, and dropped his head against the headrest.

Blaine tightened his grip on Kurt's hand. "Kurt…we have a _connection_. I mean, yeah, I have friends. Really good friends who I love dearly. Nick and I are as close as I think two people can be – but even _we_ don't have what **we** have. At least, what I _think_ we have." Blaine stopped as his nerves got the better of him. He looked down at their hands clasped together. "I'm not just making this up in my head, am I? You feel it too, don't you?" Blaine asked anxiously.

Kurt popped open. Leaning closer, he brushed their cheeks together. "Yeah, I _do_," he whispered into Blaine's ear.

Blaine inhaled as Kurt's warm breath played across cheek. "Then you should know that I _am_ planning on going out with you. _A lot_. For as long as you keep saying yes." Blaine turned his head so his lips brushed against the soft skin of Kurt's cheek. Reluctantly, Blaine pulled back. "You're adorable when you blush."

The two boys might have spent the better part of the afternoon together, happy to just stare into the other's eyes. Unfortunately, they were interrupted by a knocking on the driver's window. Burt had seen a strange car pull up, and after five minutes, when no one climbed out, he went to investigate.

Blaine unbuckled his seatbelt while carefully opening the driver's door. "Hi, Mr. Hummel," he greeted while exiting the car.

Burt offered the boy a smile. He fixed Kurt with a stare. "I know you agreed to swap shifts with Finn, which explains why you are here – but where is _your_ car?"

Kurt came around the car and motioned for Blaine to follow him into the tire shop. "Uh, Finn borrowed it," he tossed over his shoulder.

"You let _Finn_ borrow your car?" asked an incredulous Burt.

Kurt nodded moving towards the office. "Yeah. He and Rachel are going to see a show in Columbus."

"You let Finn _borrow_ _your_ _car_?" Burt still couldn't believe what he had heard.

Kurt was becoming exasperated. Spinning around, he stared pointedly at Burt. "_Yes_, Dad. I did. He's my brother. He wanted to make Rachel feel special – so I allowed him to take my car." Reaching out, he took Blaine's hand and pulled him along until they were inside of Burt's office, where he shut the door. Turning to Blaine he confirmed, "You can stay for another five minutes, right?"

Blaine checked his watch and nodded. "Yeah."

"Okay, I'll be right back. I'm gonna change. Just stay here for a minute." He disappeared through another door.

Blaine moved around the cramped office, reading the various safety posters, and looking at a few photographs that were pinned to the wall. When Kurt returned, he was in coveralls and carrying Blaine's Dalton hoodie. Blaine's mouth went dry as he took in Kurt's new look.

Licking his lips, Blaine blurted, "When you said you worked at your dad's shop, I thought you, like, worked **here**, in the office, doing _paper work_ and answering the _phone_."

Self-conscious, Kurt swallowed hard, dropping his gaze to the tiled floor as if it was the most interesting thing in the world. "No. I know most people make assumptions about me because of my voice and because I'm gay, but I really don't mind getting my hands dirty," he explained softly.

Blaine stepped up to Kurt, and pulled the sweatshirt from his hands, placing it on the desk. Carefully, he positioned his hands on either side of Kurt's waist, slowly tugging him closer, until he could place his mouth next to Kurt's ear. "Don't misunderstand me, _Hummel_," he growled out. "I feel like a grade-A moron for _assuming_ anything," he added lowly. "Damn, Kurt. This is _hot_. I mean, I _always_ think you look hot – but _this_?" Blaine brushed his lips just under Kurt's ear, smiling as he felt Kurt shudder at his touch.

Kurt slid his arms around Blaine's shoulders, holding him tightly. His heart was racing – but so was Blaine's. It became impossible to breathe. Especially when Blaine buried his nose into Kurt's hair and inhaled deeply, which caused his lips to press more firmly against Kurt's neck. But Kurt knew he was about to lose consciousness from the overwhelming sensations coursing through his body when Blaine moistened his lips only to reattach them, nipping the skin near Kurt's ear tenderly.

Kurt slipped one hand down to ruck up Blaine's shirt so he could run his palm across the warm expanse of Blaine's back. "_Blaine_," he whimpered weakly.

"God, _Hummel_." Blaine groaned. "We _need_ to stop."

"Don't wanna," murmured Kurt from where he had buried his face in Blaine's shoulder.

"Kuurrt," he whined. "Pleeease? Your dad could walk in."

Kurt snaked his hand from Blaine's back, around his side until it was resting on the lifeguard's flat stomach where he gently pushed until Blaine let go and stepped back. "_You_ started that, Anderson. But _I_ had to stop it? For future reference, don't start something you don't intend on finishing," Kurt challenged still trying desperately to catch his breath.

Blaine's eyes darkened further at Kurt's words. Whatever response he was about to make died on his lips as Burt Hummel opened the door and took in the two blushing boys who clearly were breathing too hard for them to have _just_ been talking. Clearing his throat, he gave a pointed look at Kurt. "_You_ have work to do, and I am sure Blaine needs to be getting back too. Say goodbye, Kurt." Then, as he turned to walk away, he added, "And the door can stay open for that, gentlemen."

Kurt gestured towards Blaine's sweatshirt tossed across the desk. "I washed it. Thanks for letting me borrow it."

Blaine picked it up and brought it over to Kurt. "What if I…what if I kinda like the idea of you having it? Would you wanna – I don't know – keep it, maybe?" The shy side of Blaine had definitely returned.

Kurt picked up one of the sleeves and swung it between them. "But I washed it. It doesn't smell…"

Confused, Blaine shook his head. "I mean, that's nice and all, but I didn't think it was _that_ dirty."

Kurt snickered. "No, _Anderson_. I washed it. It doesn't _smell_…like **_you_**. Anymore."

Blaine's flush returned.

"So maybe, you could wear at home tonight? Or, you know, this weekend? Then, maybe, I could have it back? _Next_ _week_? When I see you," Kurt suggested.

"Okay."

"Okay."

* * *

Blaine was about to climb back into the Civic when he noticed that Burt Hummel was walking towards him, wiping his hands on a rag. His stomach plummeted with nerves. Positive Mr. Hummel was going to read him the Riot Act for his inappropriate behavior towards Kurt, Blaine did his best to put on a show face.

"Mr. Hummel?"

Burt smiled kindly at the teen. He could almost feel the fear coming off of the boy in waves. "Nothing is the matter, son. I just wanted to say thank you, again, for helping Kurt. With everything."

"It's my job, Mr. Hummel," Blaine said. The look of amusement on Burt's face at those words told Blaine that Kurt's dad wasn't fooled – at all.

"I know that's your story, son. And I know _why_ you're sticking to it. But man to man? If it were **just** a job – I wouldn't have found the two of you sleeping together –"

"Mr. Hummel –" Blaine tried to interrupt.

Burt waved away his protest. "And – Kurt wouldn't be talking about you non-stop. Like you're the Super Bowl, World Series, and Stanley Cup rolled into one. And because I _know_ my son, and I know _he's_ not going to ask me – because he'd be too worried that it would upset me – _I'm_ asking you to come to our Friday night dinner."

"Friday night dinner?"

Burt leaned up against the Civic, staring out onto the road where cars were passing by. "They're kinda a tradition for us. Since before Kurt's mother passed away." Burt stopped his explanation when he heard Blaine's quick intake of breathe. "Kurt hasn't told you about his mom?"

"No. I. I, well, I assumed you were divorced. I'm…I'm so sorry, Mr. Hummel," Blaine offered with sincerity.

"Thanks, kid. Anyway, I know it would mean the world to Kurt if you would come. And I want _both_ of you to know that I support you. _Both_ of you. As _friends_. Or, you know, _more_. If it comes to that. Which, judging from those red faces and panting I walked in on just now – it _will_." Burt clapped a hand on Blaine's shoulder and gave a supportive squeeze.

"Wow. Mr. Hummel, that's just…thank you. But I can't come tonight. We're going back to Westerville for the weekend." Blaine's disappointment and having to turn down Burt's offer was tangible.

"So you'll come next Friday." It wasn't a question.

"Yes, thank you. I'd love to. Um…can I bring anything?"

Burt smiled as he pushed off the car, "Nah. Just yourself. And your excellent sense of discretion. It's my choice that week – and I sense a pizza order in our future." Burt winked at Blaine. "Drive carefully, son."

"Will do!" Blaine remarked as he climbed behind the wheel and drove off – lifting his hand in a wave.

Burt followed the car's progress with his eyes, wondering if this was what _his_ parents felt like when _they_ first realized that he had fallen in love with Elizabeth.

* * *

Kurt's lessons were going smoothly. In just over a week since their lunch date, Kurt had become comfortable enough with his abilities that he was able to use the backstroke to swim laps – although only across the shallow end. When it came to putting his face in the water and combining that with strokes – things became more problematic.

Blaine decided that maybe giving Kurt more of a sense of control would help. "Okay, Hummel, I'm giving you a choice," he informed Kurt after the other boy had finished his last practice lap.

"How democratic of you," teased Kurt.

Cocking his head to the side, Blaine smirked. "I'm a benevolent dictator. Until I'm not," he returned.

Jeff, who was lying on the pool deck, arm dangling into the water, lifted his head. "Hey! You totally stole that line from Mr. Hastings."

Blaine rolled his eyes, although only Kurt could see this. "And my point was – option A: learn the side stroke; option B: you work on freestyle breathing and arms."

Kurt didn't have an opinion either way, so Blaine made the choice for them. He motioned Kurt towards the pool wall, further down than where Jeff was sunning himself, while hopping over to grab goggles and a kickboard before returning to Kurt's side.

"Put these on," he asked, handing Kurt the goggles. "Put your hands on the wall." Blaine moved to stand directly behind Kurt. You're going to take a deep breathe, put your face in the water and blow out a stream of bubbles. You can do that through your mouth or nose – whichever is easier."

"Got it."

Blaine lifted his hands, placing them softly on either side of Kurt's head. "When you need to breathe, I don't want you to lift your head out of the water. You'll turn your head, dropping your chin to your shoulder." Blaine gently moved Kurt's head to follow his directions. "Your mouth will be above the water line, like this. Can you try that for me on the wall?"

Kurt managed to follow Blaine's instructions, keeping his head in the water for several minutes, breathing to the side. "I think I have that down," he offered after Blaine had tapped his shoulder to get his attention.

Blaine smiled. "Okay. Next part. I need you to imagine there is a blue and green striped line, with purple glitter polka dots that stretches from the tip of your nose, straight down the pool to the other side." Blaine tapped Kurt's nose with a finger and gestured down the pool.

Kurt couldn't help but roll his eyes. "Really, Blaine?"

Blaine bounced a little on his feet. "Yes, Kurt. Really. Gosh, why do you always question my methods? I know what I'm doing." He started to walk away, but Kurt heard his muttered, "At least here in the pool I do."

"Blaine!" Kurt couldn't control the waver in his voice. He snagged the waistband of Blaine's swim trunks, tugging the lifeguard back to him. "Don't. Don't go. I don't want to do this without you." Kurt turned back to face the wall while keeping one hand securely on Blaine's swim suit. "I'm imagining a blue and green line with purple polka dots, Mr. Blaine. Now what?"

Blaine was still trying to calm down from his unexpected emotional outburst. "Um, first, you'll need both your hands, so the one attached to my swim suit needs to come out." If nothing else, Blaine knew he could bury his emotions under a mask of professionalism. He had no clue why Kurt's words had cut so deep, but he didn't have time to analyze things right now. He moved back into position standing behind Kurt.

Reaching forward, Blaine placed his right hand over Kurt's on the wall. "Cup your fingers, like you were getting a drink of water. You're going to drop your arm back until your hand touches the waistband of your suit. Elbow points up. Next, lift your arm up and swing it around. Your fingers should enter right in front of your head before pushing into the water where they'll put the water past you." Blaine demonstrated with Kurt's one arm several more times.

"What about the imaginary line of blue and green?" asked Kurt quietly.

"Just forget it, Kurt. With both arms –" Blaine continued.

Kurt stood up and faced Blaine. "Blaine, stop. Please. I didn't mean to upset you."

Blaine just stared at Kurt. "Can we please just do _this_? _Please_?" Blaine's face was a mask but his voice couldn't cover up his emotional tension.

Kurt swallowed. "Okay," he agreed sadly.

"When you use both arms, your arms move opposite of each other. Like this."

They were in a remarkably intimate position, Blaine standing right behind Kurt, physically moving Kurt's arms to demonstrate the new movements. "To add the breathing: when your right hand touches your waist, that's when you turn your head to breathe. I want you to try this on the wall, with your feet on the ground, to get the timing down." Blaine counted, "One. Two. Three. Breathe. One. Two. Three. Breathe."

Seeing that Kurt understood the fundamentals, Blaine tapped his shoulder. "I want you to try this on the wall first, before you use the kickboard. Your feet can do the flutter kick, or you can just let them float behind you. I want you to go slowly and concentrate on technique. Bubbles. Breathe to the side. Arm goes up, around, down, pull through. Face in the water."

Kurt couldn't help but feel more guilt. Blaine always added some term of endearment or something encouraging whenever he was going to try something new. But this time - nothing. Kurt felt tears start to form, so he nodded and dropped his face into the water, getting into position. After a few tries, Kurt pulled up in frustration. "How the hell do you manage to remember all this?"

Blaine smiled sympathetically. "Do you remember the first couple times you got behind the wheel of a car when you were learning to drive?"

Kurt looked confused. "Yeah?"

"How nerve-wracking it was? How focused you were on every detail?"

"Yeah."

"Pretend for a moment that I'm Austin."

"But I'm not into blonds."

Blaine's mouth ghosted into a brief smile. "Serious moment, Hummel. Pretend I'm Austin. Close your eyes and walk me through, step by step, how you would get into your car, pull out of a parking space, and drive away from the parking lot."

Kurt stood silently in thought, water dripping down his pale chest. "I'd use the key to unlock the door. Sit down."

"On the pavement?" prodded Blaine.

"No! In the car."

"How'd I get in the car?"

"You opened the…oh."

"Start over."

"Use the key to unlock the door. Open the driver's side door. Sit down in the seat. Driver's side seat. Adjust the seat so I can reach the pedals." Kurt began biting his lower lip as he tried to not forget another step. "Close the driver's side door. Adjust the rearview mirror. Adjust the side mirrors. Put the key in the ignition. Put my foot on the brake."

He opened his eyes, "My car's an automatic. But you knew that." Closing them again, he picked up where he has left off. "Turn the key. Put the car into reverse. Check all my mirrors for dangers. Look over my shoulder - my right shoulder - slowly allowing the car to roll back. Stop. Look to see if I've cleared the car next to me. Turn the steering wheel – to the right. Look over my right shoulder. When I'm clear of the other car, stop. Put it in drive. Look forward. Drive away."

Blaine reached forward as if to brush Kurt's hair off his forehead, before dropping his hand back down. "That was really well done. But if it were an actual test – you would have automatically failed. Sorry."

Kurt had been distracted by Blaine's near caress. "What!? What do you mean?" he blurted.

"Go through the steps. You missed a really important one," Blaine explained.

Kurt mentally went through his list again, picturing himself completing the actions. Finally he shrugged. "I don't know, Blaine," he admitted.

Blaine nodded in acknowledgment. "Learning all these steps – what to do with your arms, what to do with your legs, timing your breathing – it's just like learning to drive. Eventually it becomes second nature. You won't forget to wear a swimsuit at your proficiency test, just like I'm positive you always remember to fasten your seat belt before you start your car." Blaine did finally reach out to take Kurt's hand. "I promise – it will get easier."

"Okay, Blaine Anderson, let's do this."

* * *

Blaine had to go immediately to work after Kurt's lesson, so they didn't get a chance to talk. Kurt was trying to figure out a time when they could meet up and maybe go to coffee as he walked up to his car in the school's parking lot. Opening the driver's side door, he couldn't help but grin. On the seat was Blaine's Dalton hoodie, folded neatly. On top of the sweatshirt, he'd left a stuffed Nemo and a single peach rose.

**To B. Anderson**

**From K. Hummel**

Help! Being stalked by someone from Dalton Academy. Broke into my car and left me presents. Not sure I deserve them.

**To K. Hummel**

**From B. Anderson**

U deserve! 4 being u & 4 puttin up w/ me. Sorry 4 being a jackass 2day. When will I cu?

**To B. Anderson**

**From K. Hummel**

Love them. You are amazing. Lima Bean? 7 tonight?

**To K. Hummel**

**From B. Anderson**

:-) Need a ride. Or we'll have chaperones.

**To B. Anderson**

**From K. Hummel**

Will pick you up 7.

**To B. Anderson**

**From K. Hummel**

It smells like you! happy dance

* * *

Kurt pulled into the driveway at the Sterling house promptly at 7pm. Wanting to escape some of the madness inside, Blaine had decided to wait for Kurt out on the porch. Bounding down the walkway, he yanked the passenger door open only to be slapped with a burst of arctic cold air. Sliding in and shutting the door, he turned to take in Kurt's appearance. He was wearing the Dalton hoodie – which explained the cold air blasting forth from the registers.

"Sorry for it being so cold in here. It's too warm to be wearing this, really. But I wanted to feel close to you." Kurt smiled shyly. "I was going to bring you a sweater of mine – but then I thought about that and decided against it." Putting the car in reverse, he pulled out of the driveway and started driving towards The Lima Bean.

"Why?" asked Blaine quietly. Goose bumps were covering his arms and he was trying not to shiver.

Kurt risked a glance over to Blaine. "I thought we could pick up some hot coffee, and then drive out to Whiskey Creek hill? Talk about things. Watch the stars come out. And if you were, _I don't know_, chilly, then well, we could just…get _closer_."

"_Hummel_," growled Blaine as he hit his head against the headrest, repeatedly. "You're _killing_ me."

Kurt laughed happily. "We don't _have_ to go. I can take off the sweatshirt and we can spend the evening at The Lima Bean," he offered. He carefully pulled in to the parking lot of The Lima Bean, choosing a space that more secluded. Not that many people were rushing for a caffeine fix in the summer heat.

Looking around and seeing no one in the parking lot, Blaine unbuckled his seatbelt and leaned into Kurt's space brushing his nose against Kurt's. "I _like_ it when you wear my hoodie. It tells everyone who you're with," he said hoarsely. He brought his hand up, lightly brushing his thumb over Kurt's pink lips, drawing a shudder and a quiet whimper from the other teen. Leaning next to his ear, Blaine whispered, "And it's **hot**, Kurt. You have no idea…what it does to me. I wanna take our coffee to go. _Please_." Reaching across Kurt's lap, Blaine unfastened the other boy's seat belt before rolling back and climbing out of the car in one quick motion.

"Okay, then," whispered Kurt in a voice that was an octave lower than normal as he followed Blaine into the coffee shop.

* * *

By the end of Thursday's lesson, Kurt was managing a passable backstroke and freestyle across the shallow end of the pool. Blaine was fairly confident that by the following Friday, Kurt would have mastered at least the fundamentals of three different swimming strokes. They would have the rest of the summer to perfect them – but that could happen during open swim – and not as a paid employee.

But Kurt wouldn't pass the proficiency test without passing the water treading portion. He would have to become comfortable in the deeper waters of the pool.

Blaine excused himself from the table where most of the lifeguards were eating lunch and walked into the pool office. He had an idea, but he'd have to clear it with Rebecca first.

"Bec?" he called out.

She stuck her head around the pony wall. "What's up, Blaine?"

He walked around to the other side, finding Rebecca slicing apart swim passes with scissors. "I need to ask you something. You know, as my boss," he explained.

"Okay. Shoot."

"Meghan and I are taking the guppy class around the world today – " Blaine paused. "And I'd like to ask Kurt to join the class for the day." He waited anxiously for Rebecca's response.

Rebecca was concerned. "I'm not sure that's a good idea, Blaine."

"Becca –"

Rebecca cut him off. "Blaine! I'm not _sure_. I haven't said _no_. Tell me what you're thinking."

Blaine leaned against the counter. "Kurt's really scared when he can't feel the bottom of the pool under his feet – or at least see it. But he's got to pass the tread test – which will be done in the diving pool. I thought that if he was with our little kids, he'd pick up on their enthusiasm and fearlessness. That maybe they'd help distract him. And he'd see he could be in the deep end without freaking out."

Rebecca nodded, putting her scissors down and straightening the piles of paper she'd cut. "I understand your idea. Let's be practical. How many kids do you have?"

"Eight this session."

"That's four a piece. If you take Kurt, and he panics – then what? How do we deal with Kurt's needs and the _needs_ of your students? Because while I have the upmost faith in Meghan's abilities as a teacher – if you had to deal with Kurt, then Meghan would be responsible for eight kids – that breaks ratio, and I can't allow us to take on that liability," she answered honestly.

Blaine looked resigned. "I understand. Thanks for considering it, Bec." He walked around the wall to go back outside, when Rebecca called out.

"B?"

"Yeah, Bec?"

"Maybe you could talk to Austin?"

"Huh? Why?"

"The only reason Austin doesn't work as a volunteer this time of day is because he reenrolled in the junior lifeguard class – the _same_ one he took and **passed** last summer. Ask him if he'll work with you and Meghan today. If he says yes, _then_, you have my permission to ask Kurt to join your class," she offered.

Blaine strode around the wall and threw his arms around Rebecca. "Thanks."

She squeezed his back. "You _are_ my favorite, Anderson. Go work your magic."

* * *

Austin had quickly agreed to help out Blaine, although he had quietly asked for a favor in return. "I need a ride. For me and a friend. No crazy questions. No probing. No teasing when we're together. No spilling to my brothers," he pleaded.

Blaine became concerned. "Is everything okay, A? You know you can come talk to me. At least, I _hope_ you know that you can."

Austin gave Blaine a genuine smile. "I know, Blaine. Everything's fine. _Really_. It's actually more than _just_ _fine_."

Noting Austin's flush and his grin, Blaine realized what was most likely going on. "You're seeing someone," he stated.

Austin nodded slightly. "No one knows, B. **No** **one**. And I kinda want to keep it that way, for now. I mean, _you've_ seen my family when someone starts dating." Austin shook his head at the thought. "Anyway, you know that new Thai place in downtown Westerville."

"The one with the booths? Where you take your shoes off and sit on pillows?"

"Yeah. That's the one. I kinda want to take h – this person, there. But I can't ask Jeff to take us. He's got no filter. And he can't keep his mouth shut to save his life."

"No worries, A. I'll be your chaufer. You know, if your mystery date is okay with going out with two gay guys, maybe we can double date at some point? Anyway, your secret is safe with me. I've got to go talk with Kurt. See you in five."

Austin watched Blaine jog away before mumbling to himself, "I don't think that's going to be an issue."

* * *

"Why do I have to be comfortable in the deep end? Seriously, Blaine. McKinley does the swim test in the lap pool."

"Not the water treading test."

"Well, no. But I can tread water near the wall. Nothing on that paper says I have to be in the middle of the deep end," Kurt argued with passion.

Blaine sighed and sat down at the table, facing Kurt, making sure his body shielded their intertwined fingers from the parents and kids filling the bleachers. "Maybe that's true, but I have other reasons for you to do this." Blaine held Kurt's gaze. "Personal reasons, handsome." He played with their fingers.

Kurt knew right then that he was going to lose this argument. The way Blaine was looking at him, like this was the most important thing in the world to him. "_Blaine_ –" he whispered in a plaintive tone.

"Kurt," Blaine answered in the same sing-song tone before becoming serious. "Kurt, I _love_ to swim. It's probably the biggest part of my life, and I can't imagine _not_ sharing it. With my kids, one day. With _you_. Look, I _get_ that you're never gonna love swimming like I do. And I _get_ that it would take an act of God to get you to jump off the diving board. But, _I_ don't want to always be stressed out about where _you_ are when we're around water. And it's totally fucking selfish of me, I get that. And I know I'll worry anyway. But, please, Kurt. If you don't want to do it for you – then will you do it for _me_? For _us_?" he pleaded quietly.

Overhearing Blaine's confession, Jeff stopped next to the boys and placed his hand over Blaine's forehead, as if checking for a fever. "Gosh, Blainers, you've got it bad," he teased.

Blaine swatted Jeff's hand away with a loud smack, glaring at him. "Yes. I do, Jeff. Kinda like your thing with Jordan. 'Course _I'm_ not allowed to act on my feelings right now. Whereas, you…you _could_ – but _don't_. Not even after she green-lighted you," he spit out in frustration.

Jeff held up his hands, looking suitably chastised and moved away without saying anything more.

Kurt squeezed Blaine's knee to get his attention. "Put your claws away, Tiger." He watched as Blaine seemed to deflate before him.

Dropping his face into his hands, Blaine muttered, "God, I'm a jackass."

Kurt stood up, quickly ruffling his fingers through Blaine's hair. "Not your finest moment, agreed. Although Jeff does need to learn the concept of boundaries. And timing. But our time is up, sweetheart. There seems to be a small invasion of little people running our way and I do believe you said something about a swim lesson?"

Blaine looked up in surprise. "Wait, you'll do it?"

Kurt kept walking towards the ladder. "Yes, dummy. You asked me. You didn't actually think I'd turn you down, did you?"

Blaine couldn't help but break out into a huge grin and, scooping up Paulie Jacobs into his arms as the little boy went by, Blaine joined the rest of the guppy class for their Around the World Adventure in the pool.

* * *

"Hi ladies and gentlegerms," yelled out Blaine.

"HI MR. BLAINE! HI MS. MEGHAN!" screamed out the guppy class enthusiastically.

Blaine stood in front of the eight members of the class and asked in a serious voice. "How are my ladies and gentlegerms this afternoon? Did we _all_ have a scrumptious lunch of _worms_ and fried _spiders_?"

The class broke up into a chorus of, "EWWWWW. GROSS, Mr. Blaine."

"Hey now, worms and fried spiders have lots of protein which you need for to build strong bodies." Standing with his hands on his hips, Blaine continued the ritual greeting of the guppies. "Aaaand, if you didn't have a healthy lunch, how can I know you have enough energy to go ALL THE WAY AROUND THE POOL?" he yelled.

"YAAAAYY!" cheered all eight kids.

"_We_ can do it, Mr. Blaine. We're _strong_."

"_We've_ been working out."

"I had TWO peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for lunch.

Blaine smiled at the kids and pantomimed holding a clipboard. "Okay, then. Let's go through our checklist. Is everyone wearing their swimsuit?"

"YEESS!" came the immediate response.

"Are you _suuure_?"

"YES!" they yelled even louder.

Blaine reached over to Austin and tugged on both of his ears. "Did you put on your _listening_ ears this morning, ladies and gentlegerms?"

"YES!"

He then turned and pretended to put a hat on Kurt. "Did you remember to bring your _imagination_?"

"YES!"

"Are we ready to have FUN?"

"YES."

"Are we ready to swim?"

"YES!"

"Did everyone remember to use the bathroom _before_ we got in the pool today?"

"YES!"

"And Daphne, what happens if we pee in the pool?

"The magic fish die. It's like pollution."

Blaine nodded at her answer. "Okay, it sounds like we are almost ready. But first, I want to introduce all of you to two of my friends." Gesturing to Austin, Blaine explained, "This is Mr. Austin. He is our special helper today because we are going_ Around the World_ today. How many of you know who Mr. Jeff is?" asked Blaine.

Five hands shot up.

"Well, as you probably can tell from their hair, Mr. Jeff and Mr. Austin are brothers."

"Mr. Blaine? Is Mr. Austin a teacher like you and Ms. Meghan?" asked a curly haired young girl who kept swiping her bangs out of the way in order to see.

"No Daphne, Mr. Austin is a volunteer – he helps us out. But he isn't old enough to be a lifeguard, yet. So he can't be a teacher. But in two more summers he will be. How old will you be in two more summers?"

Daphne thought carefully and clearly used her fingers to count out the answer. "Seven. But he looks old. Mr. Austin, you look old. Like my brother."

"Are you married, Mr. Austin?" asked a young girl named Ashlyn.

Austin was clearly caught off guard by the question, and tried not to laugh. After clearing his throat, he answered, "I'm 14." When he noticed that the little girl continued to stare at him, waiting for an answer, he added, "No, I'm not married."

"Oh. Neither is my mom. Grandma says she needs to find a good husband. Maybe _you_ could be her husband?"

Austin's eyes grew panicked. "Um, that's an interesting thought, sweetie. But, my mom insists that I finish high school before I make any decisions about marriage. That's four years from now. I'm sure your mom will find someone before then."

Ashlyn nodded. "Yeah, you're probably right. I don't think she can wait _that_ long."

Covering his laughter with a fake coughing fit, Blaine finally was able to control himself. "Okay, class. This is Mr. Kurt. He's a friend of mine, and Mr. Austin, and Ms. Meghan. Kurt has been learning how to swim this summer too and I thought it would be a special treat for him to join us for our _Around the World_ adventure. Can you all say hello to Mr. Austin and Mr. Kurt?

_"Hello Mr. Austin. Hello Mr. Kurt_," came a sing-song reply.

Meghan moved forward. "Alright class, let's take you through a warm up before we start our travels. Let's start with bubbles on our tummies and twenty five kicks. Everyone in position? Okay, go."

Austin was the one who snagged Kurt's arm and tugged him backwards about five feet as the guppy class started kicking. What they lacked in technique they sure tried to make up for with power – raising giant splashes all over. "You might want to stand back here with me for a little bit," he observed.

After their warm up splashing was concluded, Blaine and Meghan divided up the class. "I'll take Kieran, Scott, Hailey and Ashlyn," explained Meghan. "Austin, you'll take Timmy and Alex. Blaine will take Paulie and Daphne and Kurt. If anything happens, Austin you'll need to grab Paulie and Daphne too."

"Okay then, it sounds like it's motorboat time!" called Blaine, lifting Paulie and Daphne into his arms so he could walk out into deeper water. Kurt followed behind, unsure of exactly what to do.

The lifeguards formed a circle, with some of the kids still gripping their necks while others were confident to only hold on to their hands. Blaine positioned Kurt between Paulie and Alex. "Just do what we do, handsome," he whispered quickly.

"Austin? Why don't you start the motorboat?" asked Meghan.

Austin began the chant. "Motorboat, motorboat go so _slow_." The lifeguards began walking clockwise slowly. "Motorboat motorboat, go so _fast_." The lifeguards responded by speeding up the circle, running as fast as the water and weight of their students would allow. "Motorboat, motorboat, run out of gas." With that, eight large gasps were heard before everyone sank below the water.

As he stood up, Kurt could hear the excited clamoring of, "Again! Again!" They played this game three times, then switched to "_Ring Around the Rosy._" Each time the lifeguards moved the group further and further into the water until finally, to do so would put the lifeguards themselves under water.

"Okay, ladies and gentlegerms, Ms. Meghan is going to lead our group into…**.the deep end**! Please make sure you hold on to the wall with at least one hand. Ms. Meghan? What will be our traveling song?" asked Blaine.

"The Bottom of the Sea," called Meghan from the front of the line. Blaine, Meghan and Austin naturally spread out amongst the kids, keeping each of them within arm's reach, just in case. "We're going to do tidal waves down the wall while singing," explained Meghan. "Who do you think can make the biggest wave?"

"ME!" shouted all eight children at the same time.

Kurt watched in amusement. The point of this exercise seemed to be to push off of the wall, while keeping a hold of it, and then to yank oneself back, thus producing a large rush of water over the gutter wall. Blaine, Austin and two of the older boys – Kieran and Scott – began singing at the top of their lungs.

"There's a hole in the bottom of the sea. There's a hole in the bottom of the sea. There's a hole, there's a hole, there's a hole, there's a hole – There's a hole in the bottom of the sea. There's a log in the hole in the bottom of the sea…" On and on the song went along, each verse adding a bit more information. Slowly the group moved down the length of the pool, until even Kurt could no longer feel the bottom underneath his feet.

Clutching the tiled wall, Kurt closed his eyes, trying to concentrate on happy thoughts – the way he felt when he was with Blaine, finding the rose in his car, the smell of Blaine's Dalton sweatshirt. So wrapped up in his inner world, Kurt wasn't sure how long Paulie Jacobs had been tapping his hand before he became aware of it.

"Hi!" said the little boy. "I'm Paulie. I'm four. You're Mr. Blaine's friend."

Kurt smiled at him. "Yes. I'm Kurt. I'm seventeen."

Paulie stared at Kurt while working on his tidal waves. "You were in the shower the day the bad boys were here. They were mean to you. I know, 'cause you were crying. They were using bad words that I'm not supposed to use. So I told Ms. Rebecca so she could make them stop. Mama says I did the right thing and she's proud of me. Kurt, how come you're sooo old and don't know how to swim?"

Hearing Paulie's line of questioning, Blaine moved so that he was behind the young boy – next to Kurt. If Blaine's hand happened to cover Kurt's on the wall, silently showing Kurt he was there to support him, no one was the wiser. "Paulie, how would you like to touch the bottom of the deep end?" he asked.

Paulie turned away from the wall and launched himself at Blaine, who was now treading water with no hands, as they were full of excited four-year old boy. "Mr. Blaine, can I? Can I really?"

"Yup. First we have to make sure that Daphne and Mr. Kurt know to hold on extra tight while we go down to the bottom." Seeing his two charges nodded that they had heard him, Blaine continued. "Okay, you'll need to take a deep deep breath and hold on to it while we go down. Your ears are gonna feel funny, Paul. If you get scared, just tap my shoulder three times. I'll zoom you back up like a rocket ship," he explained.

"Watch me, Daphne. Watch me, Mr. Kurt," shouted Paulie.

"One. Two. Three." Blaine and Paul disappeared under the water. Daphne and Kurt watched as they went deeper and deeper until they appeared to be sitting on the bottom of the pool, in ten feet or more of water, waving back up at their friends, as calm as can be.

Kurt was vaguely aware of the continued singing of the class, "_There's a spot on the wing on the bug on the hair on the bump on the frog on the log in hole in the bottom of the sea_," as well as the general murmuring chatter of the parents in the stands, and the dull thud of the diving board. The heat of the sun. The strong odor of chlorine. The singing. A shout of surprise. Seeing people through the heavy weight of water.

Kurt watched Blaine and Paul through the ever-shifting water and suddenly he wasn't in a chlorinated pool in Lima, Ohio. **He** was under the water. He could see people waving their arms. And, he couldn't breathe.

* * *

"Mr. Kurt you kinda sound funny when you talk, but I _like_ your voice. Do you like to swim? _I_ like to swim. Mr. Blaine is funny and he teaches lots of stuff. Like about the magic fish. Have _you_ seen the magic fish under the water when you open your eyes? I've seen _lots_ and _lots_ of magic fish. But they're not in the bathtub. I checked. Sometimes I blow bubbles in the bathtub and sometimes I try to see the magic fish – but the soap hurts my eyes. Maybe _that's_ why the magic fish aren't in the bathtub. Maybe soap kills them like pee does. I'll have to ask Mr. Blaine. Do you know the answer, Mr. Kurt? Well, do you?"

Daphne peered at Kurt. "Mr. Kurt? _Hellooo_? _Mr_. _Kuuurt_?" When she got no response from the teenager, she began to get a funny feeling in her tummy. And not the good kind, like when her daddy threw her high into the air and caught her before she fell to the ground. Voice quavering, she called out, "_Ms_. _Meghan_? _Mr_. _Austin_?"

Austin released himself from the wall, floating over to see what Daphne needed. He stopped just as he reached Kurt, who had his back to him. "Look, Daphne, Mr. Blaine's swimming up right now." Austin used his chin to point down where Blaine had just pushed off the bottom of the pool.

Daphne shook her head hard and pointed at Kurt. "_Mr. Austin_!"

Kurt had fair skin to begin with, something Austin could relate to. Pale skinned himself, Austin had been blessed with a gene that did, eventually, allow him turn a nice golden brown. But his mom used to tell him stories about how, as a child, when Austin was sick – he would lose his color. Not become paler, but literally become translucent. Looking at Kurt now, Austin knew his mother hadn't been exaggerating. There was absolutely no color in Kurt's face, and if Austin had to wager, he would guess the beading on his forehead was sweat and not water.

He could hear Blaine and Paulie break the surface, but Austin refused to turn. "Kurt," Austin focused on keeping his voice calm. He grasped Kurt's elbow, and maneuvered his body between Kurt and Daphne. "Kurt, can you hear me?"

Just as Austin caught hold of Kurt with one hand and the wall with the other, Kurt's eyes rolled back in his head and his body went limp.

It was one thing to practice with the water rescue manikins, it was quite another to have the weight of an actual adult body slowly sinking beneath the water. "Blaine!" was all Austin could get out before the other lifeguard was next to him, reaching under Kurt's arms to pull him back to the surface.

"I've got him, Austin," Blaine reassured. "Just handle the kids – and toss me a kickboard if you can." Blaine had wrapped his arm around Kurt's waist, struggling to keep both of them in a back float. If Kurt had been conscious, he might have been able to help, but as it was, Blaine had at least 150 pounds of dead weight above him.

Austin pushed up and lunged for a kickboard, throwing it at Blaine. Turning his attention back to the kids, he did his to reassure them. "He guys, Kurt's going to be okay. You don't need to worry about him. Mr. Blaine is taking care of him." Austin ran his hand over the top of Paul's head. "You okay, Paulie? What did you think of going under water?"

Paulie continued to stare at Kurt, but managed to answer. "It was cool. I wanna do it again. What's wrong with Mr. Kurt?"

At the little boys' words, Meghan's head snapped towards Austin. "_Sterling_?"

He looked over at Meghan shaking his head slightly. "It's cool, Meg. Kurt's going to be okay. Blaine's got him." One of the last things Austin wanted to do was alarm the guppy class. Not only did he not want to traumatize the kids, he also didn't need Kurt to feel worse about what would end up being a highly embarrassing situation – especially once the little kids ran out to tell their parents what had happened during class today.

"Blaine? How you doing?" Meghan called out over the ambient noise of the pool.

"We're good here, Megs." Blaine had been attempting to rouse Kurt from his faint by talking to him in a quiet voice. "Just practicing our floating here in the deep end. Maybe the guppies would like to go off the diving board? And maybe Scott and the junior lifeguards could help you do that, so Austin could maybe come back here…" As focused as he was on Kurt, Blaine knew that moving the guppy class to the other side of the pool would help maintain the peace. And a jump from the diving board was an end of the session treat for most of the classes.

"Ladies and gentlegerms? Are any of you interested in going off the diving board?" asked Meghan.

"YES!" came the immediate answer.

"Alrighty then, I'm going to have you climb up the ladder here and walk slowly around the back end of the pool to the ladder on the other side. I want you to sit down next to the ladder and wait. Kieran? Would you be our line leader, please?" Meghan worked with Austin to move the guppy class out of the water and out of the way.

Blaine was aware they had left, mostly because the noise level dropped considerably. He continued to try to bring Kurt back to consciousness by talking to him. He was able to move them over to the side of the pool, where he tossed his left arm and left leg over the edge of the gutter, balancing Kurt's body on top of his. The change in position was less taxing on Blaine, but more awkward looking. If possible, Blaine wanted to wait until Kurt regained consciousness before they pulled him from the pool.

In the course of taking his lifeguarding and water safety classes, Blaine had learned that one of the most dangerous things a person could do when another person was struggling in the water, was to get into the water with them. Lima Parks and Rec and the American Red Cross emphasized repeatedly that the better choice was to toss something to the victim that he or she could use as a flotation device. This was simply because a drowning person, in their panicked state, will use whatever is nearby to keep his or her head above the water line – regardless of whether it's a life preserver or a person.

But Kurt wasn't conscious – and Blaine wasn't thinking about this situation in those terms. It was a decision that nearly cost both of them their lives.

Without warning, Kurt gasped deeply, rolled off of Blaine into the water. Blaine reached down to grab Kurt who, in turn, yanked Blaine off the wall and under the water with him. Kurt's hands pushed Blaine further down into the water, as he frantically tried to reach the surface. Blaine fought to control Kurt's hands. He wasn't worried about being under the water; he knew how long he could hold his breath. But he needed to get Kurt up before he started sucking in water. Each time he grasped one of Kurt's wrists, Kurt managed to twist away, or shove Blaine further into the deep water.

Twenty seconds into their struggle, although it felt like forever, Kurt's foot connected with Blaine's solar plexus. The response was immediate and involuntary – the air in Blaine's lungs exploded out in a rush of bubbles.

It took this blow for Blaine to realize what he needed to do, although it went against everything he felt towards Kurt. Instead of swimming up to the surface, Blaine dove down towards the bottom of the pool. It made him nauseous when Kurt's fingers left his arms, knowing that the other boy must be beyond frightened and convinced he was going to die. He knew he needed help with Kurt. So in the most heart-wrenching decision he'd ever faced, Blaine swam towards the surface alone.

Blaine was almost to the surface when he saw Scott streaking towards Kurt under the water. He'd barely had time to fill his lungs with much needed air, when Scott breached the surface with Kurt – who was in a head lock, unable to fight against the much larger – and stronger - lifeguard.

Scott pushed a coughing Kurt over to the ladder, then reached out to grab Blaine's swim shorts to reel him in as well. "Holy hell, guys, next time we decide to put on a demonstration for the junior's, would you do me a favor, and let me know first?" Scott reached out to squeeze Kurt's shoulder. "Hummel, if you put your arms over your head, it will help with the coughing fit."

"Scott? Thanks," Blaine's voice cracked with emotion.

Somewhere Kurt found the energy to climb out of the pool and crawl about four feet before flopping down on his back, arm across his eyes. His heart was beating so fast he was worried it might explode. What the hell had happened? He remembered watching Blaine and Paulie swim down to the bottom of the pool, and the next thing he was aware of – he was under the water with Blaine, fighting desperately to not be. He heard Blaine plop down next to him, fingers brushing against his side.

"Kurt? Kurt, are you okay?" he choked out. Blaine wrapped his arms tightly around his knees that he'd pulled to his chest. Hot tears streaked down his face, falling onto his legs.

Kurt's breathing hitched. "M.m…manatee, Blaine," he answered faintly. "Manatee." Without warning, Kurt rolled to his side and lurched towards the small concrete wall that ran along this side of the pool. Kneeling across it, Kurt vomited up a sizeable amount of water from his lungs and stomach onto the dirt below.

When the queasiness had passed, Kurt laid back down on the concrete pool deck. It wasn't exactly comfortable, but it was all he felt up to doing for a long, long time. He was aware of telling Blaine that he didn't want to talk and insisting that Blaine go back to his class. At some point, he realized that someone – maybe Austin or Rebecca, had taken the time to move the free-standing umbrella down the pool deck until he was shaded from the sun. Later still, he found a towel underneath his pale frame, and the Dalton hoodie pillowing his head.

Eventually, he rolled to his side to focus on the young guppy class leaping off the diving board without a fear in the world. Kurt tried to remember a time in his life where he had such trust and such faith. Certainly, not since he was six. It felt like a sledgehammer, the knowledge of how deeply the near-drowning experience had impacted every day of his life since. Other than his mother's unexpected death two years later, nothing had shaped him in such a profound way.

And then he met Blaine Anderson. Blaine Anderson who marched into his life, and teased, cajoled, asked, begged, and sweet-talked Kurt into pushing past what he thought were his boundaries. More than teaching him how to swim so he could earn a high school diploma, Blaine was slowly showing Kurt how to trust again. Maybe, if they continued to work at it together, one day soon, Kurt would be able to take even more of a leap of faith.

* * *

Paulie Jacobs marched down the pool deck towards Mr. Kurt, his mother following behind. He had insisted on checking on Mr. Kurt to make sure he was really, really okay – even though Mr. Blaine and Ms. Meghan, and Mr. Austin had all said he was. Paulie knew what a white lie was – which was different than a black lie – and he knew he wasn't allowed to lie at all, but sometimes mommies and daddies told white lies to make someone feel better. Paulie thought that maybe everyone was telling him white lies so he wouldn't worry about Mr. Kurt.

Kurt turned towards the noise of hard-soled shoes on the pool deck, created by Ms. Jacobs' high heels. Stopping directly in front of Kurt, Paul placed his fists on his hips, and cocked his head to the side. "Are you feeling better, Mr. Kurt?" he asked directly.

Kurt swallowed hard as he met the four-year old's gaze. "I'm getting there, Paulie. I _will_ be okay. I'm sorry if I frightened you."

Paulie nodded his head before dropping himself down into Kurt's lap picking up Kurt's hand to play with his fingers. "You did kinda frighten me, Mr. Kurt. I wasn't scared – like I got on Halloween when Eric Mattias jumped out from a bush and yelled really loud and I wet my pants scared. But I was scared – for you. Like the time when Daphne's kitty got sick and had to go to the kitty doctor. She was really, really sad and since, I'm her bestest friend, I felt scared – but for her scared. Not Halloween scared," Paulie explained.

Looking up, Paulie asked, "Can I give you a hug, Mr. Kurt? 'Cause hugs make me feel better. So does rocky road ice cream, but I don't have any ice cream here. We have some at my house, but you'd have to come there. So, will a hug do for now?" Paulie held his arms open towards Kurt.

Kurt glanced at Paul's mother. She offered him a wide smile, which Kurt took as permission to hug away. "Yes, Paulie, I believe that a hug from you would make me feel much better – until we can make plans for that rocky road ice cream, that is." Kurt wrapped his arms around the young boy, who squeezed Kurt back in a vice-like grip. After several long minutes, Paulie pulled away from Kurt. "Do you feel better now?"

Kurt's smile was genuine. "Absolutely. 100% better."

Paul grinned back. "I'm glad. You know, if I'm not here, you could always ask Mr. Blaine for a hug. I mean, he's your boyfriend, so it's okay for you to hug," Paulie stated blithely.

"Paul Andrew Jacobs!" came his mother's stern tone.

"_Paulie_? Why would you say that Kurt's my _boyfriend_?" asked Blaine who had come from behind Kurt to kneel in front of the young boy.

The grin from Paulie's face slipped as he sensed Blaine's tension. " I saw you. You and Mr. Kurt were holding hands. The day the mean boys were here. Grandma and I were walking back to the car, and I saw you, Mr. Blaine. Grandma said that sometimes boys like boys and that when you're someone's boyfriend or someone's girlfriend, it's okay to hug them, and kiss them, and hold their hands. Sometimes I hold Daphne's hand when we're playing at the park, and sometimes she hugs me, but we don't kiss – 'cause that's gross. Daddy says I'll change my mind when I'm older, but I'm not sure."

Kurt reached up to ruffle Paulie's hair before standing up. "Can I share a secret with you, Paulie?" he asked.

Paulie nodded solemnly. "Yes, Mr. Kurt."

"Your grandma is right. That's not the secret though. Mr. Blaine and I are friends and he's my teacher too. And one day soon, I have to take a test to show my school that I can swim. And once I pass that test, because we both know Mr. Blaine is an awesome teacher, then – and this is the secret – I'm going to ask Mr. Blaine to be my boyfriend. Or maybe, he'll ask me. Then maybe we'll all have to go out for rocky road – to celebrate."

Paulie shot Blaine an appraising look, then tugged on Kurt's arm until he leaned down so Paulie could whisper in his ear. Spinning in place, Paulie sprinted to his mom, took her hand and pulled her down the pool deck.

Blaine moved closer to Kurt, placing his hand on Kurt's lower back. "What'd he say?" He asked quietly.

"I'm not sure I should say."

"_Kuurt_," whined Blaine.

"That you'd say yes."

"That's one smart four-year old."

Kurt met Blaine's eyes. "I hope so. Do you have plans for tonight?" he asked nervously.

"No, no plans."

"I'm parked in the shade, under the oak trees. If I waited for you to get off work, would you come home with me?"

"Yeah, Kurt. I'd like that that a lot. Is there anything you need?"

Kurt bit his lip before taking a leap of faith and answering honestly. "Just you. And some hugs. Mostly though - just you." Kurt bent to pick up the towel and Dalton hoodie, shrugging into it despite the summer heat. He offered a small wave to Blaine before walking away. It was only because he was surrounded by Blaine's scent, and the warmth retained by the sweatshirt from being in the sun, that Kurt was able to walk away at all.


	7. Chapter Six: Too Deep

**A/N**: Thank you again to those of you who have favorited this story and/ or taken the time to review. It is a beautiful way to start my day. Chapter Seven will focus on the annual Warbler's pool party - well, that's _my_ plan. Although I will admit that often while I am writing this story, the characters sometimes demand that I take the story in a different direction than my original notes...and who am I to say no to Nana Sterling? Chapter Seven won't be up before next weekend.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Glee or its characters. I have invited some of the boys to play and will do my best to return them unharmed. The title and chapter titles are selections from Edie Brickell's _What I Am_. This is an A/U set during the summer before Kurt and Blaine enter their senior years at McKinley and Dalton respectively. Blaine is a year older that Kurt and repeated 9th grade; Kurt never went to Dalton. Both boys are a bit more confident than is necessarily portrayed in the show (more like season 2 Blaine & season 3 Kurt). The rating is due to language. Thank you for reading! Enjoy!

Chapter Six:_ Too Deep_

In truth, Kurt hadn't gotten over his fear of the water. It was still there with him every time he got in the pool. He'd just learned how to better control his responses to the overwhelming waves of emotion. Breathing helped. Consciously focusing on inhaling and exhaling helped lessen the jitters. When he was underwater, he found that focusing his thoughts on Blaine – picturing their inevitable first date, or their first apartment in New York, or eating gelato in Italy together – soothed him like nothing else. Not that he planned on sharing this discovery any time soon.

Now that he was proficient enough at swimming that imminent drowning was no longer a real threat, he'd started coming, or staying, for part of the open swim. He still had official lessons with Blaine two or three times a week, usually early in the morning. During open swim, however, Jeff was able to help him practice. Beyond helping Kurt progress faster, it was also helping to build his confidence.

It was his dad who'd raised that concern to begin with. _"Look, I know you and Blaine like each other and you're good friends. But Kurt, he isn't going to be at your proficiency test. At least not in the water with you. I just want you to remember that. You have to know you can do this on your own."_

Jeff had approached Kurt after his last lesson and told him about Thursday.

"It's perfect. We're offering the Lifeguard Certification Test, so the pool is closed to the public. We run the swimming part of the test between 1:30 to 3:30. But then, they all go inside a classroom and have the written test. So the pool's ours after 3:30. We could grab dinner after too."

"That sounds great. I'll see you about 3:30," remarked Kurt.

He'd been extra careful applying sunblock before leaving the tire shop, since it was so late in the day. Dropping his towel and bag in a chair under the umbrella, as usual, Kurt sauntered down the far side of the pool towards the deep end where Blaine was standing, timing Jeff and Austin who were treading water.

As Kurt came to stand next to Blaine, the lifeguard snagged his hat off his head and placed it on his own head. "Thanks, handsome. It's really hot today – and not just because you walked up. You're not going to need this today. I want you in lane two. Backstroke. Up and back."

Kurt moved to walk behind Blaine, then leaned close to Blaine's ear so he wouldn't be overheard. "So bossy today, Anderson. I love a man who knows what he wants and isn't afraid to ask," he purred low.

"_Hummel_," growled out Blaine trying his best not to react to Kurt's words or tone.

As he passed, Kurt dragged his hand low on Blaine's back, one finger slipping under the waistband of his swim shorts. Putting a bit more swing in his hips, he ambled over to the second swimming lane, the floating lane lines still in from the earlier testing. It was then, as Kurt sat with his feet in the water that he recognized he would be about eight feet from the side wall.

He looked up and saw that Blaine was already moving towards him. "Slide in, Kurt," he said quietly. Looking over to where Jeff and Austin were, he called louder, "I'm still timing. Don't cheat!"

Kurt slid into the cool water. Rotating, he held onto the gutter with one arm. "Blaine?"

"Look at me," Blaine requested. "_Yes_, you are further away than usual." Slowly Blaine sat down and brought his feet to rest on the gutter outside of where Kurt's hands held fast. "But you are too quick to grab on to the wall when you don't really need to. And, remember, if it gets to be too much, the lane lines will support your weight, so you can grab them. I'll be walking along the side of the pool the whole time. You remember what I told you about the flags?"

Kurt nodded. "Count my strokes. The flags divide the pool in thirds. Can I rest at the shallow end?"

"For one minute."

Kurt closed his eyes to focus on what he needed to do and to slow his breathing down. He felt Blaine nudge his hand with a toe, so he peeked up at him.

Blaine was leaning down so their faces were almost touching, the brim of Kurt's hat shading them both. "One day soon, Hummel, we're no longer going to have this whole _teacher-student_ thing between us. I want you to think about this: I am _counting_ the days until you pass that damn test. Because once you do, you'll know **exactly** what I want from you and how unafraid I am of **_begging_** you for it." Blaine's eyes were impossibly dark, his voice deep with lust.

"_Fuck me_," whispered Kurt, desperately trying to clear his mind of the erotic images that had happily cartwheeled into it at Blaine's seductive words.

Blaine reached out to cup Kurt's jaw. This time his response was much more unsure, but equally as heartfelt. "Maybe, one day. We'll…_you know_. Get to that stage. Where we want to _share_ that with each other." Blaine dropped his eyes and stared into the water. "I think about us. _Together_. Like _that_. Sometimes." His head snapped back up. "But I'm in no rush. I don't want you to feel pressured, or anything."

Glancing around to make sure no one but the Sterling brothers were around, Kurt pushed up and placed a quick kiss on Blaine's cheek. "**_I know_**."

"Let's get down to business, then," responded Blaine moving to stand back up.

Kurt shook his head in amusement. "To defeat the Huns?"

"Did you send me daughters when I asked for sons?" completed Blaine.

Kurt pushed off the wall, allowing the water to buoy him. He began to flutter kick and then added the appropriate arm movements. But, instead of counting his strokes, he sang that silly song from Mulan about becoming a man.

In a way, by facing his fears, that was exactly what he was doing here. It seemed only appropriate that by the time he'd finished the song, not only had he swum down the pool length but he'd turned around and immediately swum back. All without a rest break.

Be a man, indeed.

* * *

Austin had won the contest with his brother – although, to be fair, he had some unsolicited assistance from Jordan, who had come out on the pool deck in her street clothes which included a pair of navy shorts and dark red halter top. Jeff had sunk beneath the water at the sight. By the time he came up, she was sitting next to Blaine and Kurt, hanging her legs into the water.

"Austin? Becca needs you in the testing room," she called.

Austin pulled himself out of the pool, dripping water down the pool deck as he went.

Taking in her change of clothes, Jeff swam closer but not close enough to splash Jordan's clothes. "Leaving early?"

Jordan nodded without looking at Jeff.

"Is everything okay?" asked Blaine with concern. He wasn't an expert on other people's emotions, but it seemed to him that Jordan was kinda down.

She glanced over towards him. "Yeah. Sorta," she said quietly. "It will be, eventually. I guess."

The knot forming in Jeff's stomach grew at her words and demeanor. He had been exchanging flirty text messages with Jordan since the night everyone had gotten together to watch _Finding Nemo_, but his plans on taking her on an actual D.A.T.E. on a weekend, had been usurped by family obligations – both his and hers.

A male voiced called out across the pool, "Jordan!" A young man, probably in his early 20s, stood just inside the pool deck from the bleachers. He was dressed smart-casual: pressed khakis, fitted hunter green polo shirt. His black hair was cut very short – like the military might require, and it was clear from the fit of his clothes that he spent a significant amount of time working out.

Jordan's face lit up at the sight. "Shawn!" She had begun to swing her legs out of the pool when Jeff's voice stopped her.

"Who's _Shawn_?" Even if he had wanted to, there was no way Jeff could have stopped the jealousy he felt from spilling out into his voice.

Hesitating for the briefest of moments, Jordan narrowed her eyes and answered clearly. "A friend. A really _good_ friend." She stood up, scooped up her sandals, and met Shawn half way around the pool. He picked up the petite brunette in a giant hug and kissed her on her cheek.

Jeff and Blaine began a rapid-fire conversation while Kurt tried to keep up.

"Who's-"

"No idea."

"But I thought-""

"Yeah, so did _I_."

"But-"

"We haven't been on a date yet."

"Because-"

"We went home to Westerville; she had to visit her aunt in Chicago."

"What about Nick's?"

"I was gonna – haven't had time."

"Well, you better make time before Shawn walks away with your girl."

Jeff looked almost panicked at the thought of losing his chance with Jordan before it had really begun.

"Look, she's coming back this way to grab her things. Go talk to her. Tell her how you feel, nimrod," advised Blaine.

Jordan walked by them quickly, moving towards the umbrella table where her duffel bag was still sitting. Jeff decided _this_ was it, since good-friend Shawn was walking back towards the gate at the bleachers. He pushed out of the pool and followed Jordan, water sluicing down around him as he went.

"Jordan?"

"Not now, Jeff," she answered without stopping.

"Please, Jordan. Just…just two minutes. Give me two minutes before you leave with – _Shawn_." Jeff had had to swallow before he could say the other guy's name. He finally caught up with Jordan at the umbrella table, swiftly grabbing up the strap to her duffel bag and placing it on her shoulder. "Two minutes," he whispered.

"Talk." She still wouldn't look him in the eye.

"Did I do something wrong?" he asked in confusion.

"That's not you talking," she replied defensively.

Jeff reached out and tucked her hair behind her right ear. "Jordan. I'm not the one about to walk out of here with my '_really good friend_' leaving the guy who has had an enormous crush on you for three years with his heart ripped to shreds. I thought, you know, that you _liked_ me too." Ducking down, he tried to meet her eyes.

Jordan looked at him in frustration. "Liking you, Jeffrey, has never been the problem. I've been in love with you for three years, wondering if you would _ever_ notice. And then, this year, I finally decided that I was done waiting for you to make a move. That I would make it clear to you that I was interested in being more than just a friend."

Jeff found Jordan's hand and intertwined their fingers. "I do want that."

"Then why-" Jordan stopped herself.

Jeff swung their hands. "What? Talk to me."

Sighing, Jordan asked in rush, "Then why is it that Nick seems to think I'm going _with_ you to some Warbler party when you clearly have no desire to actually _ask_ me?"

Running a hand through his already messy hair, Jeff wanted nothing more than to hold Jordan tight. Problem was, he still had chlorinated water dripping off of him. "Is that what you thought?" he asked quietly. "I always intended on asking you, J. It's just…I didn't want to ask you over the phone. Or in a text. I planned to ask you tomorrow, during our lunch run – the one I was going to sweet talk you in to going on with me. I bought a stuffed dog and flowers and…I had every desire to _ask_ you, Jordan. _I just…wanted to do this right_. You deserve that, for putting up with me."

Jordan had begun to tear up at Jeff's openness. "Jeff…I'm sorry for doubting you. Us. For ruining your plans."

"They're not ruined. Not if you'll agree to do the lunch run with me tomorrow," he asked hopefully while bouncing on his feet.

His enthusiasm finally brought out a smile on her face. "I'd like nothing more than to get lunch with you tomorrow," she offered.

"Good. I guess my two minutes are up. I should let you go…" Jeff paused for a moment before adding, "I really want to hug you – but I don't want to get you wet before your…date."

Jordan closed the distance between them making sure they were just shy of touching. "I've waited three years for you, Sterling. So, why don't you man up, and give me a kiss goodbye. Stake your territory. I know you want to. And I won't mind," she teased gently.

Jeff slowly closed the distance, brushing his lips against hers. In imagining their first kiss, Jeff certainly hadn't pictured it in such a public place, but he wasn't going to pass up this opportunity. The sound of Jordan's duffel bag reached his ears before he felt her arms wrap around his neck. He chased after her lips when she broke their kiss long enough to whisper in his ear, "_I'll dry_," before continuing.

Sometime later, the sound of a throat being cleared pulled the couple's attention. Shawn was standing nearby, clearly amused. He confidently held out his hand to a blushing Jeff. "I'm Shawn Kirkpatrick."

Jeff wrapped his left arm around Jordan's shoulders while shaking the other man's hand. "Jeff Sterling."

Jordan reached up to place a kiss on Jeff's cheek before stepping away. "Shawn was my brother's best friend. They enlisted in the Marines together. He's here visiting our family for the weekend."

Shawn looked thoughtful for a moment. "Wait. Jeff…as in "**Jeff**" Jeff? The one-"

Jordan sighed while interrupting what could be an exceptionally embarrassing moment. "**Yes**. As in **that** Jeff. And before you ask, **yes**, we're dating. And **yes**, he treats me with respect and dignity. And he understands that failure to do so would have the immediate effect of an entire platoon of Marines creeping into Dalton Academy all Ninja-style to take him out."

Jeff met the other man's gaze and mouthed "Ninja"? Shawn gave a small shrug, as if he didn't quite understand Jordan's statement either. Jeff offered, "Look, truthfully, if I ever even entertained the _thought_ of being less than a gentleman towards Jordan, my 88 year old grandmother would take me out. No ninja invasion needed. She'd even send you evidence of the kill, I'm sure."

Shawn chuckled. "I like you, Jeff Sterling. Jordan's parents are having a BBQ on Saturday. If she hasn't invited you, and god knows why she wouldn't have done _that_, given the amount of time she has spent going on and _on_ and _on_ and _on_ about you, then please come as **my** guest. I'd love to get to talk to you some more."

Jordan looked up excitedly. "Do you think you could make it? Or are you going home to Westerville this weekend?

Jeff shook his head. "Nope. We were going to stay here and help Nana with some work around the house. I'm sure I can squeeze a BBQ into my schedule." Looking at Shawn, he added, "Thank you."

"Anytime. We should get going, Jordan."

As Jordan went to follow Shawn, Jeff tugged gently on her hand, bringing her back to him one last time. He bent to kiss her softly on the lips, then placed a kiss next to her ear. "I can't believe we waited this long to do that," he whispered.

"Figure _us_ out? Or kiss?" she whispered back breathlessly.

Jeff smirked. "Yeah. Exactly."

* * *

Walking out in time to catch Jordan and Jeff's kiss goodbye, Nick muttered, "It's about time you two got your stuff together." Spotting Blaine at the far end of the pool, he strode in that direction. Moments later, Jeff slung an arm around his shoulders.

"Dude, I'm in _love_," Jeff sighed.

Nick shoved him away. "Reality check, _sweetheart_. You've been in love. For **years**. Tell me something. Did you actually pull your head out of your ass long enough to make things official, or did she have to be the brave one?" Nick stopped walking, clearly waiting for an answer.

Jeff grinned at his best friend. "Does it really matter how it happened? Can't you just be happy for me?" He brushed past Nick and walked up to Blaine. "Where's Kurt?" Jeff asked.

Nick walked up behind Jeff, shoving him into the pool. "Yeah, B. Where _is_ Kurt? You not man enough to meet his needs?" Nick failed to see Kurt come up from under the water as he uttered those words.

"Oh, he's man enough, Duvall," snarked Kurt who looked different wearing swim goggles.

Jeff burst out laughing from the water where he found himself treading once again.

"One more time, Hummel," called Blaine. He watched Kurt take three deep breaths before dropping below the water, using the ladder to propel himself down towards the bottom. Glancing at Nick and then Jeff, he explained, "Kurt still panics a little when he realizes he can't touch the bottom. So we're trying to acclimatize him to the deep end. As long as he can hold the ladder, he's okay."

"But he can swim across the deep end with the kickboard…" Jeff stated with confusion.

Blaine nodded. "I think it's because he has the kickboard. It helps ground him and keeps the panic at bay. But to pass the proficiency test, he's going to have to tread water for 5 minutes. Which means-"

Kurt burst up out of the water and inhaled deeply. He caught the last part of Blaine's statement and interrupted, "Which means I need to be comfortable in the deep end, without holding on to anything." He pulled off his goggles and tossed them to Blaine who snatched them out of the air. "Baby steps."

"Kurt?" asked Blaine in a tone that Kurt had come to recognize as his '_I'm gonna ask you to do something, and I know you're not gonna like it – but I know you're gonna do it, because I'm the one asking you' _voice.

Kurt sighed. "_Yes_, Blaine?"

"I want to try something new."

"With an **audience**?" blurted Jeff.

Nick and Blaine yelled "**Sterling**" as Kurt swatted at the water, causing a large splash of water to land in Jeff's face. He spluttered out the water and had the decency to look chagrined.

"I want you to swim across the deep end. Six times. Nick and Jeff will swim with you on either side. No kickboard. No noodle. Using the crawl stroke. You can rest between. Would you be willing to try that? _For me_?" Blaine shot Kurt his best pouting puppy dog face.

"You're **killing** me, _Anderson_!" Kurt growled out.

Seeing that Kurt was willing to give it a go, Nick slid into the pool next to Kurt and Jeff moved to his other side. Blaine went to sit on the edge of the diving board, where he'd have a better view.

Kurt managed to make it across three times with no problem. On his fourth attempt, however, he inhaled water while taking a breath, and started coughing violently in the middle of the pool before sinking beneath the water.

Realizing Kurt was in trouble, Nick managed to snag him under the arm, pull him up and flip him onto his back, and held him while he cleared the water from his lungs. "You're doing great, Kurt. Just keep coughing. We charge 25 cents per mouthful of water swallowed, FYI," he teased.

When his coughing finally subsided, Kurt thanked Nick and quickly kicked to the side. Blaine met him at the ladder with a towel. "You really _did_ do great. I'm proud of you," he offered quietly. Blaine took the time to wrap the towel around Kurt's shoulders, letting his hands trail down Kurt's arms. He grasped Kurt's hands softly.

Kurt coughed one more time into his elbow before looking at Blaine. He reached out to take his hat back from Blaine, smiling briefly. "_I'm_ proud of me, too. But I'm done swimming for the afternoon, Blaine. No more." Blaine continued staring at him. "_What_?" he asked, a little defensively.

Blaine seemed to shake himself awake. "What? Oh, nothing. That's fine, Kurt. Will you stay, though?" he asked hesitantly.

Kurt tugged Blaine closer, aware that Nick and Jeff were probably listening to every word they said. "I'll stay only if you tell me what you were thinking just now," he asked quietly. He raised one eye brow, daring Blaine to share his secret.

Blaine blushed. "You. It's _always_ you."

"What about me, _Anderson_?"

"How much you take my breath away, Kurt. You walked in here with your dad not quite six weeks ago absolutely petrified of the water. And now – now you just swam across the deep end four times. **Four** **times**, Kurt. You are _so_ brave and I am _so_ proud of you," Blaine answered in a whisper.

Kurt smiled and swung their clasped hands gently. "Thank you. But that doesn't quite answer why, when I asked you what you were thinking about, you blushed. What were you _really_ thinking about?"

"Kissing you," he answered simply.

Kurt watched Blaine, Nick and Jeff take turns launching themselves off the spring board into the pool. He'd opted to stay sitting near the ladder instead of dragging a plastic chair over. After about twenty minutes, he decided that he was willing to take another risk. When Blaine swam over after his last dive, Kurt hurried to ask, "Can I try?"

Blaine shook his head in confusion. "What?" he asked dumbly.

Kurt took a breath. "I want to jump off the diving board. Can I?"

"You're full of surprises, today, aren't you?"

Kurt glanced down into the water. "I suppose."

Blaine climbed up out of the pool and offered Kurt a hand up. "Well, I am never opposed to a good surprise. Just for future reference," Blaine hinted.

"Noted," answered Kurt.

Blaine kept ahold of Kurt's hand and walked over to the diving board with Kurt. When he explained what Kurt wanted to do, Nick and Jeff quickly agreed to help. Blaine explained that he would be in the water, in front of the diving board, and would show Kurt exactly where to jump. Jeff would help Kurt on the diving board. Nick would supervise from the side of the pool – just in case.

Blaine left Kurt with Jeff and dove into the pool, swimming out so he was in the appropriate position to help Kurt in the water.

Jeff turned to Kurt. "The board is going to move. It's not like a backyard pool diving board where it's super stiff."

"It's not like I would know," admitted Kurt dryly.

Jeff chuckled once. "Yeah, I guess not. Okay, so I'm going to tighten the board as much as I can." He reached over to the spring board and turned a wheel at the side of it. That done, he went on explaining what Kurt could expect. "The board is going to move. You are going to stay in the center, and feel free to use your arms for balance. We're going to walk to the end-"

"**_We_**?" interrupted Kurt.

Jeff nodded. "Yes. **_We_** are going to walk carefully out to the end of the board. **_I_** will then carefully abandon you where you will be forced to take a leap of faith into the arms of the guy whose body you worship from afar. Dude, it will be just like that scene from _Pirates of the Caribbean_ – where Captain Jack jumps into the water to save Elizabeth." Jeff thought for a moment. "Only opposite. And without the corset. Although…do you _have_ a corset?"

Kurt punched Jeff in the arm. Hard. "Sterling, you are officially off your rocker."

"You _love_ me."

Kurt raised an eyebrow. "As if! You're not my type."

"What? Is it because I'm blond? Because I could dye my hair."

"No, Jeffrey. It's because you like **girls**," Kurt explained slowly to Jeff's inner five year old. "Is _that_ going to change? Because I certainly don't have the requisite parts."

The two boys looked at each other and burst out laughing.

It was so nice to have a group of friends who didn't bat an eye at Kurt's sexual preference – and were able to tease each other and support each other with equal passion.

"Okay, enough stalling. Let's get this show on the road. Jeff motioned to Kurt to climb the two steps onto the spring board and then followed him.

Kurt was able to use the handrails for balance until he was half way down – but then, it was just the board, floating above the blue water, and Blaine waiting for him. He was aware of Jeff's encouraging words in his ear.

"One step at a time. There's no rush. You're doing great."

Jeff walked with Kurt to the end of the spring board, hands on Kurt's shoulders. "See, not so scary. If the little kids can do it, we know you can."

"Thanks," Kurt said dryly. "I'm not sure that's engendering the feeling of confidence you were hoping for. More like, making me feel like a wimp."

Jeff squeezed Kurt's shoulders. "_Hey_. Don't be a drama queen. You know that's not what I meant. Now, look down and leap into that sexy man's arms."

"Excuse me?" Kurt turned to look over his shoulder, causing the board to wobble. "Shit," he blurted. Steadying himself, he continued his threat, "Jeffrey, payback is a bitch…that's all I'm going to say right now."

"Yeah. Yeah. Promises, promises. Look, I'm going to walk back now. The board is going to sway a bit. "Just keep your knees bent, arms out, and look at Blaine. Focus on Blaine. _Seriously_, I'm not being a smart ass this time." Jeff walked backwards slowly, keeping an eye on Kurt.

Blaine had moved into position about five feet out from the diving board, treading water, and watching Jeff coax Kurt into position. "Okay, Kurt. I need you to aim for my hands _here_," he said, holding his hands out in front of him, splashing the water. "You have to trust me. I'm _going_ to catch you. You're going to go under, so hold your breath. Then you're going to kick up, and I'll be there. I _promise_ you. Besides, you **know** you can swim the distance between the diving board and the wall."

"And I **know** I could buy clothes at a discount retailer, like Target. It doesn't mean I **want** to," Kurt retorted. Stress brought out his sass. Taking a deep breath, he let his vulnerability show. "**Promise** me. **Promise** me you're going to catch me," Kurt called down nervously.

Blaine splashed his hands again. "I _promise_. Right _here_, handsome. You are going to count to five, and jump right _here_. Will you do that for me?"

Nick and Jeff had moved to sit on either side of the ladder exiting from the deep end of the pool. There for moral support, they also knew if Kurt freaked out during this diving attempt, it would take all three of them to get him safely out of the pool. Nick moved his hand to make sure the kickboard he'd grabbed 'just in case' was close.

"One. Two. Three. Four. Five."

Nick watched as Kurt hesitated for two more counts and then leapt.

"Oh, shit!"

"Fuck. Jeff, grab Kurt. I've got Blaine."

From the moment Kurt jumped, Blaine knew he was in trouble. It wasn't Kurt's fault. He was nervous and wanted to make sure that Blaine caught him. Unfortunately, instead of jumping where Blaine had repeatedly asked him to, out where his hands would be able to quickly snag under his arms, Kurt jumped to _him_.

This was going to hurt!

Plunging down under the water, Kurt's body on top of his, Blaine saw stars. Actual freakin' stars! He was able to control the sudden impulse to gasp in pain, which would have brought water pouring down his lungs. Instead he managed to keep his hold on Kurt and kick towards what he presumed was the surface. He couldn't see for shit.

Nick grabbed Blaine's waist, pulling the other teen to his chest. "Let him go, Blaine. Jeff's got him." Once Blaine had released Kurt, Nick kept Blaine floating while quickly assessing the worst of his injuries. "I've got you. That's it." His nose was bleeding heavily, and looked like it might be broken and his right eye had already started to swell. "You're a mess, by the way. Good thing Kurt's mostly interested in your body," he teased lightly.

"F'ck me, Duvall," Blaine groaned.

Nick laughed. "Tempting, sweetheart. But, no thank you. Let me know when you can see again."

"Um hmm. Howz 'urt?"

Nick knew slurred speech was a sign of a concussion. "Kurt's fine. You, however, have earned yourself a one way trip on one of Lima's finest ambulances."

"What? Nah." Blaine struggled to sit forward in the water, but Nick's arm across his chest prevented this.

"Don't fight me. I wouldn't want to have you put you in your place in front of your honey."

"Shhshh. 'urt's not my 'nee" argued Blaine half-heartedly.

"Bullshit. He is. He knows it. You know it. I know it. Christ, Nana Sterling knows it. Stop fighting the tide and learn to surf." Nick slowly began swimming the two of them into shallower water. Spotting Meghan, he called out to her. "Call 911. We need an ambulance to transport young Mr. Anderson to Lima General. He's probably caught himself a concussion named Kurt."

Meghan hurried into the office to make the call.

Blaine tugged weakly at Nick's arm. "Glad you c'n make f'n at my ex'pnse."

"It's what friends are for, B."

Notified by Meghan that there had been an accident, Scott and Rebecca came running out onto the pool deck. "Do we need the back board?" asked Rebecca.

"Nah, he was moving just fine bringing Kurt up. I just need some help getting him up onto the deck. He's got a concussion. Better get a bucket."

They were careful moving Blaine from the pool onto the concrete, but even that slight jostling caused him to vomit. Thankfully the bucket was close at hand. By the time his stomach had settled somewhat, they could all hear the sirens.

Rebecca stood up from where she'd been attending Blaine, and waved Meghan over. "Call Pete and let him know Blaine's being transported. He's got medical power of attorney while Blaine's parents are out of the country. Then find Kurt's emergency card, and call his father. Ask him if he can come pick Kurt up," she instructed.

"Got it."

Rebecca looked down at Scott. "I need you to go with Blaine. Grab his emergency file from the office, and his wallet from his locker. It's a work related accident. They'll ask. Stay at the hospital until I get there, or Pete does. Let me know if anything happens in the meantime."

"No problem, Bec." Scott got up and hurried to grab the things he needed before the paramedics whisked Blaine away.

"Bec?" Blaine called weakly from the ground. "Bec, where's Kurt?"

Rebecca crouched down and gently placed her hand on Blaine's forehead, mindful of his swollen eye. "Shhhh. Kurt's fine. He's with Jeff right now. He's taking good care of him. I'm sure he'll come see you in the hospital or at the house. Don't worry about him, B."

"Can't help it." Those were the last words Blaine said before finally passing out.

* * *

Kurt was frantic. This was all his fault.

He had known something was wrong instantly. Flying through the air, he saw Blaine flinch, close his eyes, and twist away – all before falling on top of him. In many regards, it was exactly like Blaine said it would be – he went under the water. He could feel Blaine's hands grab his arms and pull him close. They kicked up to the surface. It was at the surface where his world imploded.

Jeff was suddenly in the pool at his side, grabbing Kurt from behind and pulling him away from Blaine. "Let go, Kurt. Let's get you to the side."

It wasn't until he reached up to pull himself up the ladder that Kurt realized his elbow hurt. Like really hurt. Pulling himself out, he turned back and realized there was blood in the pool. Blood that was gushing out from Blaine's nose. "Oh my god! Blaine!" Kurt actually attempted to jump back into the pool to go to Blaine, but Jeff's arm was wrapped tight around his waist, holding him in place.

"Kurt, calm down. Nicky's got him." Jeff repeated firmly.

Kurt knew Jeff was speaking to him, but he just couldn't comprehend what he was saying. It was the strangest sensation. He just wanted to be with Blaine. To make sure he was okay. To take care of him. He had no idea how long it was before he 'woke up' but at some point he realized he was sitting on a plastic chair in the corner of the pool deck closest to the diving board. Jeff was checking out his elbow applying a bag of ice that Nick had quickly run over before going back to Blaine's side.

"What did I do? God, Jeff. Is he going to be okay?" Kurt was petrified. Especially when he realized he could hear sirens getting closer to their location. "Oh my God. Jeff, he has to go to the _hospital_?"

Jeff moved to crouch in front of Kurt. "Hey, now. Calm the _fuck_ down." Seeing that his use of profanity had pulled Kurt's attention to him, Jeff continued. "Blaine is _going_ to be **fine**. Your elbow has probably broken his nose – hence the bleeding. And his right side of his face near his eye is swollen. And Nick thinks he might have a concussion."

"What! A concussion!"

"Don't get your panties in a twist, Hummel. You hit him hard. He's a big boy. The hospital will check him out, give him some meds and send him home. Where I'm sure he would love to play Dr. Hummel and patient Anderson with you. You can kiss _all_ his boo boos better."

That Kurt didn't chastise Jeff for his inappropriate comment, told the blonde lifeguard just how worried he was about Blaine's condition.

They watched the paramedics prepare Blaine for transport, which really took longer than Kurt would have thought. Jeff insisted that Kurt stay where he was, apologizing since he knew how much Kurt wanted to be with Blaine.

Kurt's attention was finally drawn away by his father walking on to the pool deck. Burt approached Kurt and opened his arms. Kurt flung himself into his dad's embrace.

"Dad, I'm so scared."

"It's going to be okay, Bud. It's going to be okay."

* * *

The emergency room doctor had ordered a minimum of three days bed rest – more if Blaine's headaches and sensitivity to light continued beyond that time. Saturday evening found him in the care of Nick and Tori who had only been too happy to volunteer to stay at home with their recovering friend. Have spent 36 hours confined to the small bedroom he shared with Nick, Blaine had begged his friends to help him down to the basement for a small change in environment.

That was how Blaine found himself lying on the sectional couch, the basement being lit by the television and one small lamp in the corner of the room. Curled up on his left side – since the slightest pressure on the right side of his face sent shooting pains through his skull, his head rested on a pillow in Tori's lap. Nick sat on the other side of his girlfriend, arm wrapped around her, as the three of them watched a marathon of Chopped on The Food Network.

"Pigs feet. Asparagus. Black rice. Gingersnap cookies. Who comes up with these combinations? Are they trying to be cruel?" Nick commented, half in horror.

Tori tried to hold back her laughter, not wanting to jostle Blaine's head. "Sometimes I think they just go around to random people's houses and ask to see what they have in their refrigerators to get ideas," she admitted.

"Oh, God!" mumbled Blaine who was only actually listening to the television program. "Imagine if they came to our house kitchen at Dalton." Blaine paused, then deepened his voice to sound more like Chopped's host, Ted Allen. "In this basket, contestants, you have bologna of an undetermined age, hazelnut coffee creamer, bagged baby carrots, and sweet pickle relish. Good luck!"

All three of them giggled quietly at the image until a soft voice from behind them spoke. "I'd make a bologna black rice pilaf scented with hazelnut cream, ginger-cinnamon glazed carrot coins, and a sweet relish gastrique."

"KURT!"

Kurt smiled at Nick and Tori, the only two people he could see, although he had heard Blaine's voice a moment ago. "Hi! I hope you don't mind that I came over. Nana Sterling let me in. Told me to remind you, _Nick and Blaine_, that you still need to behave like gentlemen even if she's not here to watch you." Smiling, he moved around the couch only to hesitate when he saw where Blaine was lying.

And there it was. A flare of jealously.

"Hi, Blaine," he greeted softly.

"Hi, handsome." Blaine actually opened his eyes to take in the sight of Kurt before closing them quickly.

Tori nudged Nick's thigh with her hand. "Let's go make some dinner. Kurt can stay here with Blaine."

"But I wanted to watch the dessert round," whined Nick who was oblivious to his girlfriend's motives.

She snatched the remote from his lap and pressed the record button. "There. It's recording. We can watch it when we get back. Now, let's go make dinner and let Kurt and Blaine have some time. **Alone**," she emphasized.

"Oh."

"Yeah. '_Oh'_. I know I asked you out because you have a _hot_ body and all, but you need to know that I find _intelligence_ to be an even _bigger_ turn on," she teased.

"I can be smart."

"I know you can, baby," Tori answered with affection.

"Wait! _You_ asked Nick out?" Blaine asked in confusion.

Tori ran her hand through Blaine's curls softly. "Another time, B. Kurt, why don't you come here and I'll help you slide the pillow onto your lap," she offered. Once Kurt had settled down in her place, Tori took Nick's hand and pulled him towards the stairs. "If you need anything, let us know. We'll be back – later."

Kurt reached out and took Blaine's hand, threading their fingers together. They sat in comfortable silence for a while until Kurt gathered enough courage to ask the question he was most worried about.

"Do you hate me?" he whispered.

"Kurt? What?" Blaine sputtered and then slowly turned over so he was lying on his back. This allowed him to look at Kurt's face, although he could only do so for short periods of time. "Do I _hate_ you? Kurt, I could **never** hate you. This was an **accident**." Blaine did his best to reassure the other boy.

Kurt was staring. It was the first time he had gotten a look at Blaine's injuries. Not only was his nose swollen and deep purple, but the right side of his face was deeply bruised as well. He brushed his fingertips lightly over the swelling, only to stop when Blaine hissed in pain. "I'm _so_ sorry, Blaine. _So sorry_."

Blaine didn't realize that Kurt was crying until he felt the tear drops landing on his face. He opened his eyes and seeing tears sliding down Kurt's cheeks, reached up to brush them away. "Don't cry, Kurt. I mean, I know it looks bad. But Tori and Jordan told me it makes me look tough – like some bad boy fantasy of guy your dad wouldn't want you to date because he rolled up to your house on a motorcycle." It was clear from his voice that Blaine was a little excited by the idea of being a 'bad boy'.

Kurt snorted. "My dad _loves_ you. _Even_ if you rolled up on a motorcycle. He says 'hello' by the way. And wanted me to tell you he wants you to come to dinner as soon as you are feeling better."

Blaine reached up to brush away one last tear drop, but left his hand cupping Kurt's cheek. "So your _dad_ invites me to dinner and your _dad_ loves me…no offense, Kurt, but that dinner could be a little awkward. Your dad is really cool and all, but he's not the Hummel that's caught my fancy."

Kurt turned his face into the palm of Blaine's hand and placed a gentle kiss there. "Caught your fancy, Blaine? Who talks like that?" he teased.

Blaine shrugged. "A dapper bad boy with a private school education? Come on, Hummel. Give in to the fantasy."

Kurt shook his head. He began playing with Blaine's curls and massaging his scalp, eliciting a sigh of contentment from him. "I was a cheerleader sophomore year."

Blaine raised his eyebrows but didn't open his eyes. "And you are offering this random piece of information to me because…"

"Well, my random facts might not be numbered, but I figured, since we were discussing clichéd fantasy archetypes…I offer my bitchy head cheerleader to your private school bad boy," explained Kurt.

"Hmmm. I see. Glad to know we have our couple costumes worked out for Halloween," Blaine said tiredly.

"You're a dork. Take a nap. I'll be here when you wake up," Kurt whispered.

"Snuggle with me?" Blaine asked.

They carefully rearranged themselves in the couch so they could both lie down facing each other, with Blaine on his left side. He reached up and lightly traced Kurt's lips with a finger. "I'm your dork, you know," he said shyly.

Kurt leaned in to brush their lips together in the lightest of touches. "I know."

* * *

Burt Hummel knew that parenting two teenage boys came with its joys, frustrations, and fears. But when Kurt had come out to him last year, his list of **_Ways Your Teenage Son Could Be Harmed_** must have doubled. And Kurt was a _mature, responsible_ kid. He didn't even _want_ to imagine what Noah Puckerman's mother worried about on a daily basis.

So when his _normally_ mature, responsible -but recently infatuated son- hadn't called to say he would be running late, Burt started to become concerned. He'd talked to Carole, who had reassured him that Kurt had probably only lost track of the time and would be walking through the door shortly, full of apologies for having worried his father.

Still, when it was almost an hour after Kurt had said he'd be home, and he hadn't picked up when Burt had called his cell phone, Burt's level of concern went from the proverbial yellow alert to orange. Not quite time to call the emergency rooms of Lima's two hospitals, or the police department to ask about car crashes. But it was _damn_ close.

The ringing of the house phone at almost one in the morning made Burt flinch. He lunged across the couch to pick up.

"Hello? Kurt?" he said in a worried rush.

"_Ahem. Is this Mr. Hummel? Father of Kurt Hummel_?" asked a female voice.

Burt felt his heart leap to his throat. Nothing good could come from someone beginning a conversation like that. "Yes. Yes, it is. Is Kurt alright?" he managed to squeak out past the lump in his throat.

"_Oh, yes. He's right as rain, Mr. Hummel_."

Burt sagged back on the couch as relief flooded him.

"_This is Margaret Sterling. Your Kurt is a friend to my grandson, Jeffrey and his schoolmates – Blaine Anderson and Nicholas Duvall_."

Burt was able to place the elderly voice with that bit of information. "Nana Sterling! Yes, Kurt mentioned you."

The old woman chuckled softly. "_The boys call me Nana, Mr. Hummel. Please, do call me Maggie. I apologize for calling so late into your evening – or early in your morning if you like – but I became entirely too caught up reading my latest romance novel, so much so, that I didn't realize the time. When I went downstairs to check on the boys, I found all of them dead to the world. _

_ "I found this number in Blaine's cellular phone and thought it best I call you. I've raised six children, Mr. Hummel. I can only too well imagine the thoughts going through your mind when your Kurt missed his curfew_."

"Thank you for calling, Maggie."

"_You are most welcome, dear. It was no trouble at all. Now, if you would prefer, I will wake Kurt and send him on his way. But honestly, he is asleep here in my house. And I can assure you that nothing untoward will happen. If it is acceptable to you and your wife, I'll send him home after breakfast_."

"That is very generous, Maggie. That would be fine with us," answered Burt. "Maggie? How did you get into Blaine's phone? Isn't it password protected?

Maggie Sterling giggled – giggled!- at Burt's question. "_Oh, teenagers think they are so smart. I've lived 88 years, raised six children and seventeen grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren. Blaine's no different. I only had to guess once. 5878_."

"5878?"

"_Yes. Those numbers spell out K. U. R. T. They are rather smitten with each other_."

"I've noticed," replied Burt dryly.

"_Blaine's a good boy, Mr. Hummel. He's had some terrible things done to him and his parents are gone more often than they're home. Despite all of this, he's become a proper gentleman. I am as proud of him as I am of any of my grandsons_."

"That's high praise, Maggie. I really like Blaine, too. He's been very good for Kurt."

"_Kurt's been good for Blaine, as well. I won't keep you further, Mr. Hummel. Do try to get some rest now_."

"I will, Maggie. You do the same."

* * *

Sunday breakfast was a huge production at Nana Sterling's house. Pancakes. Bacon. Sausage. Eggs. Fruit. Oatmeal. Bagels with cream cheese. Coffee. Milk. Freshly squeezed orange juice. Everyone sat around the oversized kitchen table that had picnic benches as seating rather than chairs (_You fit more children that way_.). Plates piled high with the delicious offerings, Pete led the table in saying grace before everyone began eating.

Blaine was on his third, or possibly is fourth, stack of pancakes when he gestured towards Kurt with his fork. "We need to discuss payment, _Hummel_," he stated.

Kurt glanced across the table in surprise. "Payment for _what_?" he asked.

"Damages done to me when your elbow carelessly attempted to occupy the same space as my face which, according to the rules of basic physics, is an impossibility."

"Uh huh," answered Kurt noncommittally. "And what sort of payment were you looking for, _Anderson_?"

Nick reached his arm around Jeff's head and slapped a hand over Jeff's mouth. He refused to move it, even when Jeff began licking his palm.

"Two things," began Blaine.

"I'm _actively_ listening," Kurt said, stabbing a strawberry with his fork.

"_First_: you learn to jump off the diving board and swim to the side without assistance. It's not part of the proficiency test, but I think you need the challenge. And you _owe_ me," remarked Blaine.

"_Uh huh_." Giving it some thought, Kurt nodded. "Alright, _Anderson_, I can agree to that term. What's the second?" he asked with curiosity.

"The Warblers are having a swim party at Nick's house next Saturday. If it's okay with your dad for you to go to Westerville with us and spend the night at the Duvalls-"

Nick interrupted. "My parents will be home the entire time and there will be **no** alcohol or drugs. They'll call your dad to confirm all of that, too."

"_Right_ – so if your dad says it's okay – then my second term is you have to come with _me_. **Us**." Blaine glanced down at Pete and Rebecca to see if either of them had overheard his slip up. Returning his gaze to Kurt, he mouthed '_With me_,'.

The tops of Kurt's ears reddened at Blaine's request. He looked over at Nick who was deliberately wiping his hand down Jeff's shirt. "Are you sure it's okay, Nick? I mean, if it's a Warbler party…" He left the rest unspoken.

Jeff, free of Nick's restraining hand, spoke up. "Dude, _of course_ it's okay. Like, everyone brings their girlfriends or boyfriends."

There was a loud thump followed immediately by Jeff jumping away from Nick. "**OW**! **_Shi_**_-take_ _mushrooms_. That **hurt**, Nick." He bent to rub his bruised shin.

Nick shrugged and looked at Kurt. "Ignore Jeff. We all do. You're _our_ friend. We'd like you to join us. And yes, there will be plenty of non-Warblers there, so it won't be socially awkward. Well, except for Jeff's presence."

"Hey, I resent-" began Jeff

"You **_resemble_** that remark. We know. Eat your breakfast, Sterling," Nick teased.

Kurt smiled at Blaine. "Well, then, I conditionally accept your second term, Mr. Anderson. Contingent upon receipt of my father's permission to attend."

Blaine smiled shyly in return, raising another bite of pancake to his mouth.


	8. Chapter Seven: Not Aware

**A/N**: Thank you again to those of you who have favorited this story and/ or taken the time to review. It is a beautiful way to start my day. It has taken more time than even I anticipated to get this chapter written out, but I hope you will be pleased with the result. It's a bit of a roller coaster - so hold on tight. Not to give anything way, but things to take a decidedly heated turn for more than one character here. It is still within what I would consider a T rating - as nothing is too explicit...although those of you with minds in the gutter (I include myself in those illustrious ranks) should have particular fun reading this. (I hope so, anyway).

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Glee or its characters. I have invited some of the boys to play and will do my best to return them unharmed. The title and chapter titles are selections from Edie Brickell's _What I Am_. This is an A/U set during the summer before Kurt and Blaine enter their senior years at McKinley and Dalton respectively. Blaine is a year older that Kurt and repeated 9th grade; Kurt never went to Dalton. Both boys are a bit more confident than is necessarily portrayed in the show (more like season 2 Blaine & season 3 Kurt). The rating is due to language. Thank you for reading! Enjoy!

_Chapter Seven: Not Aware_

Burt Hummel hadn't needed much convincing to allow Kurt to attend the pool party in Westerville. Most of his regular fatherly objections were assuaged after Nick's mother had driven out to Lima to meet Burt in person at the tire shop. She was a lovely lady who had explained that she and her husband had hosted the annual back-to-school Warbler part for the past seven years – and took the role of chaperoning the two to three dozen teenagers who would come – very seriously. There would be no alcohol, nor drugs, nor any behavior that couldn't be classified as "PG".

"We set very clear expectations for everyone, Mr. Hummel," Lydia Duval had explained to Burt, occasionally sipping on iced tea that she had brought for Burt and herself. "The children understand the consequence for breaking those rules is an immediate call to their parents to come pick them up, and if a parent isn't available to do so, then we call the Westerville police department. It's happened three times in seven years. Twice - the parents came. Once - the police. The children understand that we aren't making an idle threat; if they choose to break the rules, there _are_ consequences for their actions."

"We also want to let you know that we are happy to host Kurt for the entire evening. Westerville is quite the drive from Lima, and I wouldn't want you to worry about Kurt being too tired to make it home. In the past, the boys who have stayed the night either camp out in our basement, or a couple times, they've pitched tents, and actually slept on the lawn. Either way, someone from the family is always with them, making sure that everything is above board."

Their conversation was interrupted by a quiet knocking on the door frame to Burt's office. Nick Duvall stood just outside, smiling at his mother. "Hey, Mom!"

Lydia stood to hug her son, who was at least a full head taller than she. "Nicky, it is so good to see you, baby. Mr. Hummel and I were just discussing the party on Saturday."

Looking over his mother's shoulder, Nick grinned at Burt. "So, do you think you'll let Kurt come? We'd really like him to join us," remarked Nick with excitement.

Burt smiled knowingly. "Yes, Nick, if Kurt wants to go, he has my permission. How much _does_ Blaine owe you for this favor?" He asked pointedly.

The playfulness dropped from Nick's face, and he stepped away from his mother to move closer to Burt. "Mr. Hummel? I want you…no, I _need_ you to understand something. We – Jeff, Blaine and I – discussed asking Kurt to join us. And _yes_, part of that has to do with the fact that Blaine can't just outright ask Kurt to come as his date – because, well, you _know_ why. But in all honesty, even if Blaine and Kurt weren't dancing around their obvious attraction to each other, I still would have asked Kurt to come. I really like Kurt. He's good people, Mr. Hummel. Our invitation wasn't a favor that Blaine called in. I think it's important that you understand that.

"Blaine is my closest friend, Mr. Hummel. He has been through hell and back – and Kurt is the _first_ guy he has ever really had feelings for," Nick continued.

Lydia interrupted her son's heart-felt speech. "What about that boy? The one you all sang to at the mall?"

Nick shook his head and chuckled at the memory. "The Warbler Gap-Attack? No, Mom. Blaine kinda made that '_relationship'_ up in his head. The poor guy had **no** idea that Blaine was crushing on him – then we came along and he lost his job." Nick turned to look his mother in the eye. "This doesn't even begin to compare, Mom. What's that line from that movie you like so much: '_Hearts are breakin' wide open all over the world tonight. He is 100%, prime time, in love with you_."

"Top Gun fan, Mrs. Duvall?" inquired Burt.

A faint blush appeared on the woman's cheeks. "Val Kilmer fan, Mr. Hummel. In my younger days, anyway."

It was important to Nick that his mom understand what he was trying to put into words. "You know how Papa always gets that twinkle in his eye when he talks about Grandma?" He waited until his mother nodded, before adding, "_They_ have that same twinkle. Blaine and Kurt. And I'm not even sure they know it. But after everything Blaine's gone through," Nick's voice tightened forcing him to clear his throat. "After everything he's been through, it's just nice to see that he's found… his match. That he's found someone who loves him back just as much as he loves Kurt."

Running a hand through his hair, Nick shrugged. "Sorry for going on for so long, Mr. Hummel."

Burt clapped Nick's shoulder firmly. "No apology needed, son. I know Blaine is special. And I see what you see, too. The boys are very blessed to have such a supportive friend in their lives. And, I think you have lunch plans right now, so I'll let you go."

Mrs. Duvall picked up her purse, pulling out her keys. "We'll take my car, Nicky. Mr. Hummel is going to replace the tires on yours and check the brakes while we're gone," explained Lydia.

"But, Mom, I don't have the money to pay Mr. Hummel," blurted Nick.

Lydia patted her son's cheek. "It's on me, Nicholas. I love you and I want you to be safe."

Nick hugged his mom tight. "Love you too, mom. Love you too."

* * *

Following Friday night dinner at the Hummel's, Blaine had asked Kurt if he wanted to go for a drive. They were planning on leaving early the next morning for Westerville, so neither one wanted to stay out too late. But that didn't mean they couldn't take advantage of the warm summer evening, where it wouldn't turn dark until after nine.

"Do you mind, Dad?" asked Kurt.

Burt waved the boys away. "Go! I won't have to fight with you over what to watch on the television tonight. Have fun! But not _too_ much fun!" he teased.

"_Daaaad_!" whined Kurt in mock indignation.

Blaine waited for Kurt at the front door, slipping his hand into Kurt's after the door was shut. "Dinner was delicious. I can't believe you made that. You're pretty darn amazing, Hummel," he admired as they walked towards his car parked at the curb.

Kurt nudged Blaine with his shoulder. "Whatever, Anderson. Your compliments, while appreciated, are not necessary to win me over."

After Kurt had slipped into the passenger seat, Blaine took the seat belt and leaned across Kurt to buckle him in. Hesitating briefly, Blaine pressed his lips in a light kiss against Kurt's ear. "They **are** necessary, handsome. And _you_ are amazing. And I think tonight is the perfect night to spend explaining to you just _how_ amazing I think you are, Kurt Hummel. Don't kill my moment here." Blaine dropped a quick kiss to Kurt's cheek before he second-guessed himself and shut the car door.

Twenty minutes later, the boys found themselves outside in the cooling air, wading in the water of Whiskey Creek. A fairly popular picnic spot, the creek and its surrounding areas tended to clear out in the evenings since the only light came from the moon and the stars. Blaine had only counted three other cars in the parking lot when he had pulled out a blanket out of the back of his car. Hopefully the park rangers wouldn't chase them out any time soon.

Kurt wrinkled his nose at the sensation of mud between his toes. "This is kinda gross, Blaine. And I swear I just felt something bite my toe. What the hell is _in_ this water?"

Blaine's laughter rang out. He picked his way over to Kurt, careful to not splash the other boy. "It's mud, Kurt. Something I'm sure you wouldn't mind slathering all over your body, if we were at a high priced day spa. Here – it's free. You shouldn't complain."

"I'm standing in the middle of a creek, with _questionable_ mud oozing through my toes, with _unknown_ creatures trying to feed off of my body, and you tell me I _shouldn't_ complain?" asked Kurt incredulously.

Blaine narrowed his eyes mischievously and bent down to scoop up a handful of mud. "That's _exactly_ what I'm saying, Hummel. There's nothing wrong with getting a little dirty. In fact, I do believe you told me that you like getting a little dirty, sometimes." He stalked closer to Kurt.

Backing away slowly, Kurt held up his hands. "Don't you _dare_, Blaine. I **said** I don't mind getting my **hands** dirty. Do **not** come _any_ closer with that mud."

"That's too bad, _Hummel_," Blaine drawled out. He bent down and dropped his hands into the flowing water, quickly washing away the grime. He held up his hands. "All gone, handsome. Nothing to worry about now." Blaine turned away from Kurt and waded towards a large boulder which sat in the middle of the creek. Reaching the stone, Blaine hopped up so he could sit on it but still keep his feet in the water.

Kurt watched Blaine from a distance for a long moment, before deciding to join him. Since the sun had just fallen behind the tree line, Kurt could hear the chirping of crickets increase in volume. Really the crickets and the occasionally sound of the creek were the only noises around. For all intents and purposes, he and Blaine were the only two people around for miles. And that thought excited Kurt more that he wanted to admit to himself.

"Room for one more?" asked Kurt when he reached the boulder.

Blaine patted the stone next to himself. "Always."

Scooting up next to Blaine, Kurt dropped his head onto Blaine's shoulder and relaxed. He couldn't help his smile when Blaine wrapped an arm around his waist, pulling him even closer. Kurt held out his hand, palm up and Blaine interlaced their fingers together. They sat still, listening to night fall around them, content to just be with each other.

Much later, when it was nearly completely dark, and the sky was brimming with stars, Blaine gently nudged Kurt. "I should probably be getting you home, Kurt," he remarked quietly.

Kurt sighed. "But I like this. Blaine, I don't want to go. Like ever. Can we just stay here?"

Blaine squeezed Kurt's hand gently. "I wish we could," he whispered. "I'm not sure _I'd_ be missed. But I know you would be. And worried-about-his-son Burt Hummel is one version of your dad I could skip." Blaine hopped down into the water, turning to face Kurt. Placing his hands on Kurt's waist, he lifted the other boy down into the water, but didn't let go.

Kurt could feel Blaine's hands trembling.

"_Kurt_?" Blaine's tone was part question – part whimper.

Licking his dry lips, Kurt leaned closer to Blaine. "Yeah, Blaine"

"_Shit_! I'm about to do something _really_ stupid. Tell me not to do it, Kurt," Blaine begged softly.

Kurt leaned close enough so his lips were brushing Blaine's cheek. "If you think kissing me right now is stupid, then you're an idiot. And there is no way I would ever tell you not to-" A warm pair of lips pressed against his own, kept Kurt from voicing the rest of that thought.

Unable to control his desires further, Blaine had turned his head and captured Kurt's lips. He'd meant it to be a brief kiss, but once their lips met, Blaine couldn't bring himself to pull away for anything. And later, when he felt the tip of Kurt's tongue brush lightly over his lower lip, Blaine couldn't help the groan that escaped his body. This was everything he'd been dreaming about for weeks. Well, maybe not quite everything. But it was enough. For now.

* * *

Like putting a lit match to dried grass, their desire ignited only to spiral out of control.

It was Kurt who initially deepened their kiss, running the tip of his tongue over Blaine's lower lip; It was Kurt who slipped his hands under Blaine's shirt, caressing the smooth expanse of Blaine's lower back; It was Kurt who reached for the bottom of Blaine's shirt, breaking their kiss to pull it over Blaine's head. Like most things in his life, Kurt knew what he wanted and wasn't afraid to chase after it.

Tossing Blaine's shirt onto the rock next to them, Kurt took his time running his hands reverently over the dips and valleys of Blaine's chest and stomach, taking note of the locations that caused Blaine's breathe to hitch or tiny whimpers to escape his mouth. Blaine chased after Kurt's lips, and Kurt was only too happy to continue kissing the handsome boy.

Eventually, though, even Blaine's amazing talent for kissing (how was it possible he had never done this before?) couldn't keep Kurt's attention from the fact that they were still standing - in the dark - in the creek. Placing his hand firmly in the center of Blaine's chest, Kurt pushed him away gently, hoping that physical distance would help him clear his head and catch his breath.

It might have been embarrassing how wreaked his voice sounded if he didn't know he'd had an equally strong impact on Blaine. "That was…an _amazing_ first kiss, Blaine Anderson." He couldn't help but lean in and feather another kiss on Blaine's cheek. "But," he continued softly, "I'm _still_ standing in questionable mud with god-knows-what swimming around my feet…"

Blaine laughed softly while reaching for his shirt. "I get it, Kurt. Come on. I'll take you home."

Reaching to take Kurt's hand, Blaine was surprised to have Kurt step around him and walk on his own to the creek bank where they'd left the blanket earlier. Kurt turned to face him, the light from the moon playing off his pale skin in breathtaking ways.

Kurt knelt down on the soft cotton, and carefully removed his own shirt. "Is that _really_ what you want to do?" He asked in a low voice.

Stalking forward, Blaine managed to growl out, "_Hummel_." It was half- warning, half -plea.

"_Anderson_," teased Kurt. It was a heady feeling to see and hear the impact he was having on Blaine.

Blaine was scared – scared of the emotions bubbling up inside of him; scared of screwing this up; scared of moving too fast too soon; scared of not moving fast enough and losing Kurt to some other guy who was more amazing. He tried to put his fears into words. "Kurt. _Please_. We shouldn't be doing this. Not yet."

When Kurt didn't answer, Blaine felt his stomach drop. It may have fallen completely out of him when Kurt reached for his shirt and shrugged it back on.

"_Kurt_?"

Still not speaking, Kurt stood up and slipped his feet into his sandals. "**Kurt**!" Blaine called more loudly. Blaine rushed from the water, in time to grab Kurt's arm and spin him around. He tried to meet Kurt's gaze, but Kurt refused to cooperate. Reaching up, he placed a hand on either side of Kurt's face, feathering his thumbs over Kurt's cheekbones. "Why are you running away from me?" he asked in a whisper.

Kurt still wouldn't meet his eyes. "I'm sorry, Blaine. I didn't mean to force you to do something you didn't want to do." Kurt's voice trembled.

Blaine's gut clenched. "What are you _talking_ about, Kurt? I _wanted_ to kiss you. You didn't force me to do anything I didn't want to." He let his thumb graze across Kurt's lips, swollen from their recent activity.

"_Oh_."

"Baby, you've got to tell me what's going through your head. Why are you upset?"

Blaine knew from their initial meeting so many weeks ago that it would take Kurt time to verbalize his thoughts. He would wait for an answer for the rest of the summer if that's what it took.

Kurt snuck a peak at Blaine before quickly dropping his eyes. "Was it _that_ bad?" he asked in a tiny voice.

"**What**?" Blaine was incredulous. Did Kurt actually think he wanted to stop their heated make-out session because Blaine wasn't enjoying it?

"Is _that_ why you want to take me home? Because it was so _bad_?"

Blaine surged forward, connecting their lips again. Only this time, he could tell Kurt was holding back. He took Kurt's lower lip between his teeth and tugged gently, causing the other boy to whimper. Blaine used the opportunity to slip his tongue into Kurt's warm mouth, tasting the other boy. Knowing that words alone wouldn't convince Kurt, Blaine wrapped his arms around the slender teen, pulling him tightly against his body so he would feel exactly how much he was wanted.

Pulling away from Kurt's lips, Blaine kissed and bit along Kurt's jaw until he reached the spot just below Kurt's ear. Placing kiss after kiss there, Blaine finally reached up to pull Kurt's ear lobe between his lips, suckling softly. It was a good thing his arms were around them both, since Kurt's legs gave out at that point. Blaine was able to control their tumble to the ground, where he made swift work of removing Kurt's shirt.

"_Hummel_ – how could you _ever_ for one _minute_ think that I don't _want_ you? You're all I think about." Slotting their legs together, Blaine turned them both so they were on their sides, nose to nose. "You _move_ me, Kurt. I love _being_ with you. And I don't want to screw this up." Blaine leaned in to place another soft kiss to Kurt's lips. "I don't want move _too_ quickly-"

Kurt interrupted, "I didn't mean to pressure you."

"Ssshh." Blaine kissed Kurt to distract him from that thought. "Of all the things I was feeling just now, pressured isn't one of them. I _want_ you, Kurt Hummel." Blaine ran a hand down to the top of Kurt's thigh, tugging him closer to emphasize the point. "I want you so much, it scares me. I just don't want us to get so caught up in how amazing all of this feels, that we end up doing things that tomorrow - or next week, we'll regret. Or, regret doing too soon." Blaine buried his head in Kurt's shoulder, content for the moment to listen to his heartbeat and feel the soft rise and fall of his chest, as Kurt played with his curls.

"_I_ thought when you started talking about the mud, that you were hinting at that same thing. That we needed to slow things down. I'm sorry I made you feel like I was rejecting you or that I didn't find you attractive – because, _fuck_, Kurt, I've never – **ever** – been so attracted to anyone," Blaine remarked quietly.

Absentmindedly, Kurt wrapped Blaine's curls around his fingers. "I _get_ it, Blaine. Just because we've got the keys to the car and can drive on the freeway, doesn't mean we're Jeff Gordon and ready to drive on the NASCAR circuit. Maybe one day soon, but not right now."

Blaine burst out laughing at Kurt's analogy. "Your dad told you that."

Kurt giggled. "Yeah. He did. Along with a speech about how I matter, and I shouldn't throw myself around."

"He's right."

"He usually is. Can we…can we go back to kissing now? Or do you _really_ want to take me home?" he asked hesitantly.

In answer, Blaine pushed Kurt onto his back and leaned over him. "So you wanna practice a little _mouth to mouth_, do you?"

Kurt snickered. "God, _Anderson_, you are **such** a dork." Threading his fingers through the back of Blaine's hair, Kurt slowly brought him closer.

"And _yet_ – despite that flaw which you _keep_ pointing out- _you_ _still_ love me." Blaine lowered his lips to Kurt's, taking the time to savor the feeling.

Kurt pulled away slowly, reaching up to cup Blaine's face. "You're intelligent. Patient. Funny. Articulate. Athletic. Polite. Great with kids. My dad loves you." Kurt tried to lighten the moment. "All wrapped up in an amazingly hot body." He felt the tears building in his eyes, and blinked furiously to keep them from falling. "And for some reason that I'll never fully understand, _You_. _Like_. _Me_. Putting up with your tendencies toward dorkdom seems really, really small in comparison to that, Blaine Anderson."

The evening faded completely into night with only the sounds of crickets, the creek, and hushed sighs of pleasure to companion the moon and stars.

* * *

It was after 1pm by the time Blaine and Kurt arrived at the Duvall's house in Westerville. Blaine had arrived later than originally planned to pick up Kurt – which given the late hour they had arrived home the night before, wasn't entirely unexpected.

Kurt noticed the subtle changes in the clothing choices Blaine had made as they made the hour and a half drive from Lima to Westerville. Instead of his normal choice of a t-shirt and denim shorts, Blaine had chosen a collared black polo shirt and belted red shorts that fell almost to his knee. The most noticeable change was to his hair. The dark curls that were normally allowed to be free, had been tamed significantly with hair gel. It wasn't a bad look – not at all. But Kurt had a feeling that in the end, he'd prefer to run his fingers through gel-free hair.

They had spent the drive talking amiably about school, musical theater, fashion and football. And for most of the time, Blaine had held Kurt's hand, resting them on his knee.

As Blaine pulled into the rounded driveway of an enormous house, Kurt's eyes widened. "Nick lives here?" he asked in awe.

"Um, yes…look, Kurt, he's still _Nick_, you know?" Blaine seen other people react this way to the Duvall's economic status, and it usually didn't end well.

Kurt shook his head as if clearing it before turning to Blaine. "I'm sorry, Blaine. It's just…I wasn't expecting anything quite so…extravagant. It's a beautiful house."

"Yeah, it is. But the Duvalls' are what make it a _home_. They're normal people, Kurt," Blaine explained.

"No, it get it, Blaine. I promise not to stare, or do anything else that might embarrass you."

Blaine leaned over to kiss Kurt softly. "You aren't going to embarrass me. But you should know that Nick can be sensitive to people fawning over the things his family owns. His parents have tried really hard to give Nick and his brothers and sisters as normal of an upbringing as possible. That's why he works during the summer. They gave him a car, but expect him to make the insurance payments. He pays for his own gas, and a lot of his spending money. Sometimes, the newer Warblers come to the party and they get the wrong idea about Nick and about his family."

Bringing his hand around to touch the back of Blaine's neck – careful not to mess with the hair gel, Kurt brought Blaine's lips to his again. "_Message_ _received_. So, I really want to meet your friends, and I am super hungry too. Are we ready to do this?"

Smiling, Blaine opened the door and exited, coming around to open the door for Kurt, ever the proper gentleman. Kurt used the belt sitting on Blaine's waist to tug him closer so he could wrap his arms around his boyfriend. "I've been meaning to tell you since you picked me up, this is a _really_ good look for you. Although, I think I prefer a gel-free Blaine Anderson," he teased gently.

Chuckling to himself, Blaine kept an arm around Kurt's shoulders as he moved them to the back of the car to pull out their bags. "We can leave the sleeping bags here until we need them tonight. Yeah, so about the gel. The Warblers, excluding Nick and Jeff, are used to seeing me as '_Blaine Anderson: Dalton Academy student_' which comes with a navy blazer, tie, and curls tamed down like a helmet. It's just part of my – prep school persona, I guess."

"Prep school student by day, fearless crime fighter by night?" giggled Kurt.

Lifting both bags on to his shoulder, Blaine took Kurt's hand and led him towards the house. "_That_ would be so cool," he answered dreamily. A moment later, Blaine shook his head. "This is sorta a compromise."

"So only the cool kids get to see the real you?" asked Kurt quietly.

"Only the people I love..."

* * *

It was all quite overwhelming – but in a really good way.

The Duvall's back yard stretched on forever and included a pool that was almost the size of the Lima public pool, a three bedroom pool house, gazebo, swing-set and play structures for Nick's younger brothers and sisters, and a vegetable garden that would give Martha Stewart's garden a run for its money. The patio and pool area was laid out in beautiful stonework, which transitioned seamlessly to the green grass that grew to the fence lines that surely existed somewhere out of sight.

Blaine had introduced Kurt to Mr. and Mrs. Duvall, both of whom welcomed both boys with strong hugs. Mr. Duvall stood proud in his "_This is what a cool dad looks like_" apron, tending the two large grills that would be providing food to the ravenous teenagers present. One grill was filled with tri-tip, hamburgers, and sausages, while the other was grilling a variety of vegetables, peaches and pineapple.

Mrs. Duvall was carrying out the last of the salads, placing them on the tables which were shaded by a cluster of enormous Mulberry trees. Many of the teenagers who had arrived earlier had spread their towels or moved chairs and lounges onto the grassy area nearby, knowing they wanted to be in close proximity to the food.

Blaine made the rounds with Kurt, introducing him to the Warblers and their friends. By the time they made it to an umbrella table where Jordan and Jeff had been saving them seats, Kurt's head was spinning with names. Plopping down into a chair, Kurt greedily sucked down the water Jordan handed him. Blaine and Jeff offered to fetch some food to eat, although a platter of 7-layer bean dip and corn chips already rested on the table.

"Thanks, Jordan," said Kurt when he had finished.

She smiled. "No worries, Kurt. You looked a bit…parched. How've you been?"

Kurt could feel his cheeks heat and realized that Jordan had noticed. "Um, I've been good. Learning all their names is gonna take a while, I think."

Jordan laughed.

Kurt made a show of looking over the entire back yard. "There's Wes, David, Thad, Trent, Hunter, Sebastian, Richard…I think at that point, I just started numbering them in my head: Warbler #1, Warbler #2, Warbler #3…"

Leaning over, Jordan beckoned Kurt closer. "Okay, here's my secret…but you can't tell Jeff…if you access the Dalton website and use the link to the Warblers – they have their bios and pictures up. When Jeff is telling me about someone and I'm not sure who it is, I use my lap top to look them up. It helps."

Kurt grinned excitedly. "Oh my goodness, that's brilliant. Thank you so much! I owe you."

Waving away his remark, Jordan leaned back in her chair. "Just take care of my boy Anderson, Kurt."

Glancing over his shoulder towards Blaine, Kurt responded nervously. "We're just friends, Jordan."

Jordan stared pointedly at Kurt. "_Riiiight_. Uh huh. Just _friends_," she mocked.

Nick's girlfriend Tori joined them at the table at that moment, leaving an empty seat between her and Jordan. "Who's just friends?" she asked curiously, scooping up some bean dip on to a chip.

"Kurt informs me that he and Anderson are, and I quote, _just_ _friends_," Jordan stated dryly.

Chewing her chip, Tori held up one manicured finger nail. Finished, she looked first at Jordan then at Kurt. "I call bullshit on your '_just_ _friends'_ story."

Kurt looked like a deer caught in the head light beams of a MAC truck. "Girls, I'm serious."

Pursing her lips, Tori let them go with a quiet pop. "If it please the court of opinion, let me bring forth exhibit #1 into evidence: Blaine tried to _kiss_ you that night at the party before falling into the take out. Exhibit #2: You and Blaine, cuddled up _together_ while he was recovering from his concussion. **All**. **Night**. **Long**. Exhibit #3: You and Blaine, _kissing_ in his car, no less than thirty minutes ago. I was upstairs. I **saw** you. _With_ _my_ _own_ _eyes_. And finally, Exhibit #4: I was informed by a _confidential_ source that the reason you weren't hear at 10:00 this morning was because you and Mr. Anderson had _quite_ the late night rendezvous at Whiskey Creek. I expect later, when everyone is in the pool, we might find _physical_ _evidence_ on yours and Mr. Anderson's bodies that proves a more intimate relationship exists. I rest my case."

Not able to bring himself to look at either of the girls for fear of giving himself away, Kurt stared at his hands clasped together in his lap. This was more difficult than he imagined. He really wished Blaine would hurry back with the food, so he could help deflect the attention.

Concerned that their teasing had gone too far, Jordan scooted closer to Kurt, placing his hand on his arm. "Kurt?" she asked softly.

He took a deep breath. "We're not out," he answered quietly.

Tori shot a confused look at Jordan. "Kurt, sweetheart, I know that Blaine is out and I was pretty sure you were too…" she remarked slowly.

Kurt snorted. Risking a glance up at Nick's girlfriend, he replied. "Yes, silly. We're both _out_. _**We're**_ not out. As a couple. He's not my boyfriend. We can't be, because of Blaine's job. Not _yet_, anyway."

Squeezing Kurt's arm, Jordan could barely contain her excitement. "_But_…" she prompted.

Sucking his lower lip into his mouth, Kurt considered his words carefully. He knew that Jordan and Tori wouldn't tell anyone what he shared – not even Jeff and Nick, if he asked. "We're getting there. Last night was…heated. Intense. God, it was just…_wow_. So, yeah, not to sound cocky, I'm pretty darn sure that Mr. Anderson and I will be boyfriends – officially - out and proud, by homecoming." By the end of his explanation, Kurt found himself wrapped in the embraces of both girls.

This was how Jeff and Blaine found the three of them when they brought back the plates of food. Somehow Blaine managed to balance four plates of delicious smelling food while also carrying napkins, utensils, and several soda cans. Nick walked up moment later with food for Tori and himself, followed by Austin and a boy his own age who no one had met before.

"Is there room for us?" Austin asked politely as everyone else took their seats.

"Sit." Jeff said around a mouth full of food.

Austin gestured to his friend to take the chair that was available before fetching one for himself. "Everyone, this is my friend Owen. Owen, this is Blaine and Kurt, Jordan and my brother, Jeff, Tori and Nick. Blaine and Nick work as lifeguards at the pool where I volunteer, and they'll be at Dalton with me and Jeff. Jordan made the questionable decision to date my brother, which shows he has excellent taste. Tori is Nick's girlfriend and makes the absolute best apple pie I have ever tasted."

Owen sat, smiling politely as he was introduced to everyone. His sun-streaked brown hair was longer in the front, hanging almost to his eyebrows, but cut short in the back and his brilliant green eyes sparkled with amusement as Austin teased his brother. Casually dressed in a navy US Navy t-shirt and tan cargo shorts, he was quite a bit taller than Austin when they'd been standing together.

"So, Owen? How do you know Austin?" asked Nick before taking an enormous bite out of the hamburger he'd piled with all sorts of goodness.

Owen looked over at Nick. "We played lacrosse together for the past two years for the club team," he answered casually, helping himself to some of the bean dip.

Nudging the bowl of corn chips in Owen's direction, Nick continued asking the younger boy about himself. "So where do you go to school?"

"I'm a sophomore at the engineering/ science magnate school in downtown. I love it because we get to totally geek out over stuff – but we don't have enough students to field any sports teams. Luckily, my mom helped me find a lacrosse team and an ice hockey team to play on outside of school," Owen explained to the table.

Austin snagged one of the extra sodas on the table and passed it to Owen without being asked. "We haven't been able to hang out since the end of the school year, so I asked Owen if he'd like to hang out today."

"Yeah, thanks for letting me come. This is like, really cool," Owen remarked, continuing to eat the dip.

"No problem. Anyone who's friends with Austin is welcome here. Austin, _love_, you need to take your boy over to get some real food. Mom has spent the last four days in cooking heaven preparing for today. And, I have it on good authority, that Blaine's mom brought over lumpia before the Andersons left for Dubrovnik…"

Blaine's head popped up from his plate. "Wait, seriously? My mom's lumpia is here?" He shot out of the chair and jogged over to where Mrs. Duvall was refilling the ice chests, causing the others to laugh.

Owen stood, shooting a quizzical look at Austin. "What's lumpia?"

Sighing, Austin got a dream look on his face. "Only a little bit of fried heaven. Filipino eggrolls. Come on, if the others find out the lumpia's been put out, they'll be gone before we can grab some." Standing up, Austin took Owen's elbow and led him towards the food tables.

Blaine returned with an entire paper plate filled with a thinner version of an egg roll as Kurt knew them. "Here," he said, placing the plate in the center of the table. "I got enough for us to share."

"Are you sure, Blainers? 'Cause I've seen you put down a plate like that by yourself," teased Jeff.

"That was during swim season," murmured Blaine.

He picked up a lumpia and offered it to Kurt. "You'll have to wait to meet my parents, but my mom made these. There's different kinds of filling, but this one is my favorite." He held on to the fried roll until Kurt had taken a bite, anxiously waiting to see what Kurt's reaction would be.

Chewing thoughtfully, Kurt allowed the different textures and flavors to play out in his mouth. He reached over to take the uneaten portion from Blaine's fingers. "That…was so good, Blaine. Do you think your mom would teach me how to make these?" he asked enthusiastically popping the last bit into his mouth.

"Damn, Hummel – if our Blainers wasn't head over heels in love with you before, he certainly tripped over the cliff with _that_ comment," muttered Jeff, helping himself to two more.

Sniffling once, Blaine smiled shyly at Kurt, aware that he'd heard Jeff's comment. "She'd love that. You have no idea. And it would mean a lot to me too. When they get back from Europe, we'll have to make a time for you to come over."

Tori threw a chip at Blaine to get his attention. "Um, if I'm not being a third wheel, I'd love to come to the lumpia making party too. And maybe your mom could teach us how to make that noodle dish, with the shrimp and veggies. Big fan of that one too."

Blaine couldn't help but grin. "Okay, I'll send out an evite or something. She'd love to have whoever wants to learn. You know my mom."

* * *

It took a while for everyone at the table to make it through all of the delicious food – all of them going back for seconds, and some of them going back for thirds or fourths. The party continued on, with people taking turns singing Karaoke, playing volleyball on the grass, and taking advantage of the cooling waters of the pool. At some point Tori turned to Jordan and offered to show her where to change into her swim suit. Before following Tori, Jordan spun and looked straight at Jeff.

"You're in for a treat, baby," she called out sassily and then, giving him a wink, followed Tori into the Duvall's house.

"I guess we should go change too," remarked Austin, although it sounded more like a question.

Blaine stood and offered Kurt a hand up. "All of the girls know to use the main house. The boys use the pool house to change in. Any of the three bedrooms. There are two bathrooms in there too, in case you're wet – the pool house has tile floors, not carpet and wood like the main house." He said it to Kurt, but loud enough so that Austin's friend Owen would hear too. "Come on. Our bags are already inside."

They changed out of their clothes quickly, each proud of not sneaking a peek at the other while he was completely undressed. Some things could wait for the appropriate time. When Kurt went to shrug into his swim shirt, Blaine grabbed it. "Don't."

Not understanding Blaine's request, Kurt asked, "Why don't you want me to put my shirt on, Blaine? You know how important skin health is to me."

Blaine stepped closer, pushing some of Kurt's hair behind his ear. "If you wear the shirt, I can't put sunblock on you. And…I've really been looking forward to rubbing sunblock all over your back…and anywhere else you can't reach…since you agreed to come to the party with me," Blaine explained huskily.

Kurt's eyes widened with understanding before he smirked. "Does that mean I get to _return_ _the_ _favor_, _Anderson_?" He purred.

"Oh, _God_, **yes**. _Please_," whispered Blaine meeting Kurt halfway for a very heated kiss.

* * *

They played in the pool for hours – conscientiously getting out every hour to reapply sunblock – for their health, of course. Somewhere around five or six in the evening, the Duvalls started bringing out the dessert courses – shaved ice, brownies, a chocolate fountain with all sorts of things to dip, and the crowd favorite – S'mores. Mr. Duvall set up one of his two grills as the marshmallow roasting station, while he continued to use the other.

It seemed as if there was a mad rush towards the desserts, leaving Blaine and Kurt floating on a two person inner tube alone in the pool. They had positioned themselves so that their feet were hanging over opposite ends of the tubes, leaving their faces closer together. "Having a good time?" Blaine asked quietly, circling his feet in the water, causing them to spin slowly in the water.

Kurt removed on of the hands from behind his neck to run it through Blaine's gel-free curls. "The best. Like, okay, last night was _clearly_ the best time I've ever had-" The flush that crept across Kurt's face had nothing to do with the sun exposure.

"_Really_?" asked Blaine insecurely.

Tightening his hold on Blaine's curls, Kurt waited until Blaine was looking right at him. "Yes, really. Best. Night. Ever. To date. Feel free to continue rocking my world like that, _Anderson_."

Blaine's shy smile came back. "Challenge accepted, _Hummel_."

Kurt smiled back. "So, as I was saying…this day has definitely been on my top ten favorite days list. Thank you for including me. It's been really nice getting to meet all of your friends and hanging out. With them. And with you."

Quiet for a long time, Blaine finally worked up the courage to ask Kurt what he'd been thinking about. "Do you remember when we talked about our Halloween costumes?" he asked in a low voice.

Eyes closed, Kurt smiled at the memory. "Prep school bad boy and Head Bitch Cheerio."

"I was wondering…" Blaine hesitated.

"Spill it, Anderson."

"Would you be interested in…being a little naughty? Like, PG-13 naughty."

Kurt opened one eye at Blaine. "You wanna be a _bad_ boy, Blaine?" he growled.

Blaine stared up at the cloudless sky. "Yes. A little. With you."

When Blaine didn't continue, Kurt dipped his hand in the water then let the drops fall from his fingertips onto Blaine's face. "Out with it. Tell me all your _naughty_ thoughts," he teased.

"The Duvalls have a wine cellar. An underground wine cellar. You can access it from the house and also from outside. I was hoping to convince you to meet me there so we could…you _know_."

"Use your big boy words, Blaine."

Rolling his eyes, Blaine whispered, "Mess around. Like we did last night. Well, not as far as we went last night, but the kissing part."

"Okay."

Blaine almost sat up, rocking the inner tube, before he caught himself and laid back down. "Okay-okay? Really?" Seeing Kurt's firm nod, Blaine grinned like the village idiot for a moment. Schooling his features, he explained his plan. "You'll need to go into the main house. In the kitchen, there's a glass door etched with the word 'pantry' on it. If you go into the pantry, on the back wall, on the left, you'll see a rack with a broom and mop hanging from it. Pull that rack forward. It'll swing out – and you'll see the steps going down into the cellar. The lights are always on. I'll use the outside door, so it doesn't look as suspicious as both of us going into the house together. Meet me there in 10 minutes?"

"See you in 10 minutes, Blaine. Don't keep me waiting." With that Kurt folded himself in half, slipping through the tube and swam away.

* * *

The boys weren't whispering but they weren't being really loud either. It was as if they figured no one was going to walk in on them.

"Oh, God. Like that. Right there, please don't stop. You make me feel so good."

"Uh huh, I know I do. You're okay with this right? Not telling anyone?" A whimper. Then another.

A louder groan. Then, "Fuck! Yes, just a little harder. It's all good. We can stay quiet about this. No one needs to know. It's about us – and how we feel, and…Fuck! You feel so good babe, so good."

"Don't stop. Don't stop. Don't stop. Please don't st-" A loud hiss of relief. And then two people panting furiously to catch their breaths.

A door above their heads slammed.

Then another door, on the other side of the room slammed.

"What was that?"

"I'm not sure. Give me a moment so I can feel my legs and I'll go find out."

"Okay." A kiss. "I love you."

"Love you, too."

* * *

Kurt came bursting out of the pantry and ran smack into Jeff who'd been sent to fetch more graham crackers and marshmallows.

"Hey, what's the emergency, Kurt?"

Kurt's mouth opened and shut but no words came out.

Jeff felt his stomach plummet. "Is anyone hurt? Do we need to call 911?" he asked firmly.

Kurt shook his head.

"Are you okay?" Jeff asked.

Kurt shook his head again, tears beginning to fall from his eyes.

Jeff didn't even think – he acted. Grabbing Kurt by the elbow, Jeff led him through the maze of hallways and rooms of the Duvall's house into one of the guest rooms, where Kurt promptly fell onto the bed, sobbing.

* * *

Blaine came around the side of the house, frantically wiping away the tears falling from his eyes. The first person to see him was Tori, who made a bee-line to him.

"Come on." Her tone left no room to argue, as she let him into the pool house towards the furthest bedroom. Once Blaine was inside, she instructed him to lock the door. "I'm going to get Nick," she explained, feeling bad about leaving Blaine, but knowing her boyfriend was probably the only person who could get Blaine to open up about what ever had caused this breakdown."

Nick was standing with Wes and David, roasting marshmallows, when Tori hurried over to him. Glancing at the other two Warblers, Tori stared into Nick's eyes hard. "Blaine needs you." She explained where he was, and left to go find Jeff, per Nick's request. Wes and David followed along, picking up Thad and Trent along the way. The six Warblers were all super close to one another, and if one of them was in trouble, then the other five were going to provide back up.

Blaine let them all in, trying desperately to control his sobs. He didn't care if the guys saw him crying – they'd all held each other during some emotional crisis or another. But it hurt. It hurt to cry. And he just didn't want to hurt. Not like this.

* * *

When Jeff hadn't returned with the marshmallows and graham crackers, Mrs. Duvall had grabbed Austin by the arm and asked him to fetch them and to then go look to see where Jeff went off to. Searching for his brother, Austin finally found him in a guest room with Kurt. It was an odd moment, finding his brother and Kurt, fully clothed, curled up together on the guest bed, until he realized that Kurt was crying and Jeffy was trying to comfort him.

"What happened?" Austin whispered from the doorway.

Jeff waved him way. "Doesn't matter, A. We're gonna be here a while. Could you tell Jordan, so she doesn't come looking for us? Thanks."

* * *

Walking back outside, Tori accosted Austin. "Have you seen Jeff?"

"Yeah, but he's kinda indisposed at the moment. Why?"

"Blaine's really upset about something. I don't know what. Nick asked me to get Jeff."

"Where's Blaine now?" Austin asked curiously.

Tori nodded towards the pool house. "I ran in to him coming around the house. When I realized something was wrong, I took him there."

Austin started to walk away then stopped. "Tori, Blaine was coming around the house? Like he'd been on the _side_ of the house?"

Shrugging, Tori said, "I guess. There's only fruit trees and the cellar door over there – so I don't know why he'd have been over that way, but yeah, that's where he was coming from.

Austin felt light-headed. Voice cracking, he said, "Tori? Jeff and Kurt are in the guest bedroom. They're gonna wanna come." Watching as she walked off, he muttered to himself, "_Fuck_."

* * *

Austin knocked on the bedroom door, and moved past Wes, who'd taken up guard. "Jeff's on his way," was all he said before moving towards Blaine. Squeezing between Nick and Blaine, Austin tried desperately to get Blaine's attention without alerting the others. "Blaine!" Austin gripped Blaine's elbow hard. "Blaine, I've got to talk to you," he whispered fiercely.

Blaine tried to shrug him off. "Not now, Austin." He swiped again at the tears he couldn't stop from running down his face. It just hurt so much.

"_Yes_. _Now_. Please. You've _got_ to come with me." Austin needed to get Blaine away from everyone else. Now that he knew what had caused the fight between Kurt and Blaine, he had to explain what had really happened. He had to fix things before they spiraled too out of control.

Nick placed a firm hand on Austin's shoulder. "Austin, Blaine needs some time. Just…just go back to the party."

Austin swatted away Nick's hand, surprising everyone. He moved in front of Blaine and stared hard into his eyes. "W. you …it isn't you think. _Please_, Blaine. Just come with me. Don't make me do this with everyone here." Speaking barely above a whisper, Austin's voice trembled with fear.

Before Blaine had a chance to decide, Jeff walked in to the room with Kurt. Everyone froze for several long moments.

Blaine glanced over at Nick then back to Kurt, his face a mixture of pain and anger. "_Why_? Why would you _do_ that, Kurt?" he asked furiously.

Kurt, who clearly had been crying himself, looked sincerely shocked at Blaine's questions. "Do _what_, Blaine?" he shot back hoarsely.

Choking back a sob, Blaine ran his hands through his hair. "God, have the _decency_ to not lie about it, Kurt. I **heard** you," he accused.

"_Heard_ me what?"

"I heard you. K. , I heard you in the wine cellar… with another g. . I heard… the things you were telling him. I…" Blaine couldn't continue as sobs wracked his body.

Kurt was horrified at Blaine's accusations. "I don't know what the hell you're talking about, Blaine. I went to the cellar like _you_ said, _when_ you said, and…and I _heard_ you… I heard you with some _guy_. Telling him how much you _wanted_ him and…how you were willing to keep things quiet…if it meant you could be together." Feeling Jeff's arms wrap around him, Kurt turned to bury his face in the other boy's shoulder.

While the other boys from the Warblers were quietly buzzing about the accusations Blaine and Kurt had thrown at each other, it was Nick, whose arms were wrapped around Blaine, who noticed how ashen Austin Sterling had become.

And suddenly, it all made sense.

"B?" Nick whispered in Blaine's ear.

Blaine grunted in response.

"B, it's gonna be okay. You need to trust me on this. LP to LP. _Listen_ to Austin…then you need to talk things out with Kurt." Nick could feel Blaine begin to tense up at his mention of talking with Kurt. He moved to put some space between them, so he could look into Blaine's eyes. "Don't fuck this up, Anderson. He's the honey to your bee…the peanut butter to your jelly." Nick knew, when Blaine rolled his eyes, that he was listening.

Turning away from Blaine, he shouted to get the attention of the group of Warblers who'd followed them into the room initially. "**Guys**! _Everyone_ out. Blaine and Kurt need to talk, and everyone else needs to get the fuck out."

Wes and David, Thad and Trent immediately moved towards to door, knowing that Nick, who never swore unless it was absolutely necessary, was deadly serious. When Jeff looked like he wasn't going to leave Kurt's side, Nick walked over to him and pulled him out the door despite the other boy's protests.

Austin sunk to the floor, wrapping his arms around his knees, knowing full well that Blaine and Kurt were now staring at him. Maybe if he sat on his hands, they would stop shaking. Or, at least, not shake so much.

"It was _me_," he stated forlornly refusing to meet the other boys' eyes.

Blaine and Kurt both moved to sit with Austin on the floor, though neither one of them would look at the other.

Austin continued. "_I_ was the one in the wine cellar. You heard _me_…and, and…you heard me and Owen." Sniffling, Austin wiped his nose on his t-shirt before dropping his head onto his knees.

"_Austin_..." Blaine reached out to squeeze the younger boy's knee.

Head snapping up, Austin pinned Blaine with his gaze. "No one _knows_, Blaine. _No one."_ His voice wavering with the emotions he was frantic to keep in check, Austin tried to explain everything. "_Not_ Pete. _Not_ Jeff. _Not_ my parents. And I didn't realize…we didn't realize…I'm so _sorry_."

Scooting forward, Blaine wrapped his arms around Austin. "Ssshhh."

Kurt still had tears in his eyes, but now they were for the youngest Sterling brother. "_Austin_? We aren't going to _tell_ anyone."

Austin's voice was muffled by Blaine's chest. "Kurt, how can you _not_? Everyone _knows_ that each of you heard two guys getting hot and heavy. They're _gonna_ know." Quiet for a long time, Austin was grateful that the other boys didn't press him for more information before he was ready.

Lifting his head, Austin decided he would try to verbalize what he was thinking and feeling. He couldn't fathom being in a safer place, emotionally and physically, than right here with Kurt and Blaine.

"Even if I didn't care what other people would say…will say…I mean, I'm _gay_. It is what it is. And while I don't want people talking about me behind my back…shit, I mean, I look at you, Blaine, and I look at you, Kurt, and the two of you are so _proud_ to be who you are…I _want_ to be 100% out and proud like you.

"But Owen isn't _there_ yet. He…everything is fine when we're _alone_, but when other people are around…he's totally different. And I'm _okay_ with that, because I'd rather have a little piece of him, than nothing at all – but if people start to suspect him, he's _never_ gonna talk to me again." Hot tears poured down his cheeks as he finished his confession.

Pulling Austin back into his chest, Blaine rocked him while he continued to cry softly. Looking over at Kurt, he met the other teen's eyes. "_Kurt_? Would you go get Nick?" he asked softly.

Nodding Kurt stood and left the room.

Austin raised his head. "No, Blaine, please."

Blaine wiped away Austin's tears, and went to get him a tissue. "He **knows**, A. That's why he sent everyone else away. Nick will help us figure this out, so that no one gets hurt. So that _Owen_ feels safe to be with you."

Standing above, Blaine ruffled Austin's blond hair with affection. "Is he treating you okay, otherwise? He's not pressuring you to do anything you're not comfortable with, right? 'Cause I _can_ pull the official big brother card if I have to."

Austin managed a weak chuckle. "I've got _four_ older brothers, and you want to _audition_ to be number five? Thanks, but no thanks. Things are fine, B." He began cracking his knuckles nervously.

"_Fine_?" prodded Blaine.

Austin sighed deeply. "Between us?" He looked up to catch Blaine's affronted look.

"_Duh_."

He couldn't help the grin that broke across his face. "It's fucking amazing. I mean, he's just…really _talented_ with…things. And it just feels so…_good_. And _sometimes_ I think we should slow things down, but it feels good and he _likes_ me and I _like_ him. And it's kinda nice, 'cause he _hasn't_…neither one of us has…" Austin flushed. "We're…like, learning _stuff_ - together. Which I like, because doing those things is intimidating enough without constantly worrying about how your more experienced partner feels about your lack of experience. Does that make _any_ sense at all?"

Blaine laughed quietly, rubbing the back of his neck. "Believe it or not, it makes perfect sense. You know, taking it slow is fine, too. I mean, for the record, Kurt was the first guy I've kissed…made out with." Seeing Austin's look of disbelief, Blaine continued. "_Seriously_. Eighteen and never been kissed. Well, until last night. And, yeah. We went further than we probably should have…because it felt really good. Just…don't just do stuff 'cause it _feels_ good, Austin. It's got to **mean** something, too."

Austin was still shaking his head. "So you _never_ kissed a guy before Kurt?"

Blaine looked down sheepishly. "If we include games of spin the bottle? Then _yes_, I've kissed Nick, your brother, and…_shit_, your brother"

Looking horrified, Austin asked, "Jeff _and_ David?"

"Yeah…_Awkward_. But I've never dated anyone before. And maybe it's old-fashioned, but I wanted things to _mean_ something. And they _did_. And I'm really glad I waited. But I don't want you to feel like I'm judging you. Because I'm not. I just want you to feel like it's okay to go at your own pace. Whatever that is."

"Thanks, Blaine."

"You know, A…I know you and Jeff were going to room together this year…but, and I don't need an answer tonight, but if you _wanted_...I could talk to Jeff about switching with me. He and Nick would jump at the chance to be back together. And even if you don't…want to room with me, you've got to know that I'll always be there if you need to talk…about anything. And Nick may be into girls, but he's been, hands down, the most supportive friend I could have ever asked for. You can always talk to _him_…he won't ever spill your secrets. And Kurt. You can always talk to Kurt.

The sound of the door closing pulled Blaine and Austin's attention. Nick smiled warmly at his best friend. "Love you too, Blainers."

Blaine offered a smirk. "Love you more, Duvall."

Nick listened as Blaine laid out a shortened version of Austin's story.

"I've got this, B. Have you and Kurt had a chance to talk about things?" He wasn't surprised to see both of his friends shake their heads. "Fine. Austin and I will go explain things." Seeing Austin about to protest, he quickly cut the blonde boy off. "Shush. We've got this. I'll explain in the hallway."

Pointing at Blaine and Kurt he ended with, "You two – go _talk_. Then, at the risk of sounding like Jeff, go kiss the shit out of each other. I don't want to see either of you until after that happens." Reaching down, Nick offered Austin a hand up from the floor. Slinging his arm around Austin's shoulders, he guided them through the door into the hallway.

Kurt waited until the door swung shut after them before announcing firmly, "I want to go home."

* * *

Standing with his arms wrapped protectively around his middle, Kurt wouldn't make eye contact with Blaine. "I want to go home," he declared firmly.

As angry has he had been thirty minutes ago, Blaine was a hundred times more remorseful. He knew he'd screwed things up big time with the way he'd handled everything. He attempted to take Kurt's hand, only to have Kurt violently jerk away from his touch. "Kurt, _please_."

"**No**!" Kurt shook his head. "_Don't_. I _get_ that this is a thing for you and the Warblers, so I'm just gonna call Finn and ask him to come pick me up." He drifted towards the door.

"_Kurt_," Blaine's voice cracked. "Please stay. I'm sorry. I'm _sorry_ for jumping to conclusions and I'm _sorry_ for –"

Kurt yanked the door open.

"**Kurt**! Kurt, _wait_. I'll take you. Can I? _Please_."

Pausing, his hand on the door knob, Kurt considered. "I'm going to get my things and say goodbye to Mrs. Duvall. I'll be at your car in fifteen minutes. If you're not there, I'm calling my brother," he answered tersely.

"I'll be there, Kurt."

* * *

Nick and Austin were still in the hallway when Blaine exited. Seeing Nick's questioning glance, Blaine cut to the chase, "I'm taking Kurt back to Lima. I'll text you when I get there. I'm probably going to stay at Nana's tonight."

"_Talk_ to him," advised Nick.

"He doesn't _want_ to talk to me, Nicky. He won't even _look_ at me." Leaning against the wall, Blaine began to bang his head against it. "Fuck. I _fucked_ this up so bad. Nicky, I can't…I can't lose him. He means too much to me."

Nick stood in front of his friend and placed both hands on his shoulders, squeezing firmly. "You've got an hour and a half drive ahead of you, Blainers. **Tell** him. **Tell** him how you _feel_. He's really angry right now – but he's still in love with you. Go fight _for_ him, not _with_ him." Nick gave Blaine a quick, hard hug then pushed him down the hallway.

"You think they'll be okay?" asked Austin

Nick nudged Austin with his shoulder, grinning. "Of course. Kurt and Blaine are endgame, Sterling. _Everyone_ can see that."

* * *

Blaine found Kurt leaning against the passenger door of his car, hands clutching the strap of his duffel bag tightly. Walking up to him, Blaine tried to take the bag from Kurt. "Here, let me put this in the back."

Twisting away, Kurt refused to hand over his bag. "_No_," he said sharply. "No, thank you." He continued to look anywhere but at Blaine. "Could you unlock the door so I can get in?"

Blaine deflated. "_Kurt_, don't be like this. I'm _sorry_. Really _sorry_. Can we _please_ talk about what happened?"

Kurt kept his face blank, refusing to allow the anger and hurt he was feeling to show. God knows, he'd had enough practice schooling his features in front of the bullies at McKinley. Taking a breath, he let it out slowly. "I want to go _home_. Period." He finally met Blaine's eyes. "If you can't respect that, then it really _isn't_ an imposition for me to make other arrangements."

Feeling like he'd been sucker-punched, Blaine realized he wasn't going to get Kurt to open up. At least not right now. "_Okay_."

Using the key-less remote to unlock the doors, Blaine stumbled around to the driver's side, not hiding the fact that he was wiping away tears as he did so. By the time he made it inside the car, Kurt had already fastened his own seatbelt and, forehead pressed against the glass, was staring off into the darkness.

Ten silent minutes later, Blaine felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. Carefully, he pulled it out, noting that Nick had sent him a text message. Before he could check to see what Nick wanted, Kurt's fingers reached to pull the phone from his hand.

"Please don't use your phone while you're driving," he mumbled.

"I'm sorry, Kurt," answered Blaine.

"Whatever," came Kurt's quick reply, plainly indicating he wasn't ready to accept Blaine's apologies.

"_Kurt_ –"

"It's not _safe_," Kurt remarked tensely

"You're right. I _shouldn't_ have done that…there's a lot I shouldn't have done tonight." Blaine risked a glance at Kurt, only to find him swiping at the tears on his cheeks again. "_Please_ talk to me," he whispered.

Kurt hated that his voice betrayed his emotional turmoil by going up an octave. "What **is** this, Blaine? What are we?"

"I…" hesitated Blaine.

"Exactly," commented Kurt sadly.

Blaine found it difficult to concentrate on driving, especially with watery eyes. He just needed a minute to focus his thoughts. "No, _Kurt_, give me a chance to…to figure out what I want to say."

Kurt's anger boiled over. "So when it comes to tearing me down in front of your friends, when it comes to accusing me of cheating on you – when I'm not even sure that's possible, because I don't even know if we're _together_ – and frankly, I didn't think you could _cheat_ on someone you were **just** friends with – _then_, the words just flow out…but when I ask you to actually define what I mean to you – _then_ you freeze up? _Then_ you need time to think?"

Making a series of turns in some generic suburban track home division, Blaine didn't say anything in response. He pulled his car into a driveway in front of a two story house, where all the lights were off. Shutting off the engine, he twisted in his seat so he could look at Kurt.

"Where the hell are we?" asked Kurt in confusion.

Blaine gestured weakly with his hand. "My house. I can't…I can't drive…" He choked back a sob. "I'll take you home, I _swear_. But I can't drive right now…I _just_ want to work this out, Kurt. You have _every_ right to be furious with me. I was a total _asshole_. But you _have_ to know, I don't want you to walk away…I _want_ you in my life."

Kurt stared at some point over Blaine's shoulder. "I thought I wanted that too," he said quietly.

"So you don't anymore?" Blaine asked, voice cracking.

"Twenty-four hours ago, I had the single most amazing night of my life, with a guy who I _thought_ I was falling for..." Kurt hesitated at Blaine's exhalation of surprise.

He continued. "I don't regret it. I don't regret what we did – any of it. But maybe you were right to try to stop us – because we haven't ever taken the time to define what we have. And before today, I didn't think I needed to – because I thought we were on the same page."

Kurt dropped his gaze to his hands, twisting together in his lap as he expressed his feelings. "But I must have been wrong – because as much as you humiliated me in front of your friends – and I'm pissed at you for that, I could maybe _understand_ it. But the fact that you thought, _seriously_ _thought_, that I would…that I could _hook_ _up_ with another guy at a party – after what we shared last night…" Kurt broke down, dropping his head into his hands.

"_Hummel_," Blaine croaked out, reaching to take Kurt's arm.

Kurt slapped his hands away. "No! Blaine, I'm not some cheap _whore_ who throws himself around."

"I don't **think** that," cried Blaine.

Kurt finally lifted his head to pierce Blaine with his gaze. "It's how you've made me **feel**. It hurts so much, that you don't realize how special…how I never would have…it **meant** something."

"It meant something to me, Kurt. I swear, it meant the _world_."

"Then how could you _ever_ think it was me in that wine cellar?"

"It just made sense…the timing - not that it would be you. And I was so _hurt_ and… so _jealous_. Because you really are amazing, and…I'm petrified that you're gonna wake up and realize what a joke I really am – and I don't know how I'd ever recover from that, because _Kurt_? Kurt, I am in love with you. I _want_ you to be my boyfriend. I've wanted that…almost since I met you. But I didn't ask because of the stupid rules. I should have admitted all of this to you a long time ago. Please…_please_ tell me I haven't _fucked_ this up so much that you can't forgive me." Halfway through his confession, Blaine had snatched up Kurt's hands, holding them tightly to help anchor him.

The sincerity of Blaine's words slowly began to thaw the iciness around Kurt's heart. Slipping a hand out of Blaine's vise-like grip, Kurt reached up to run his hand through Blaine's messy curls. "You saved me, Blaine Anderson. You _saved_ me from so much. I would _never_ let you go without a fight. And you aren't a joke. Please don't talk like that."

He drew Blaine closer until he could wrap his arms around him. Blaine let out a sob at Kurt's gentle touch, burying his face into the space where Kurt's neck and shoulder met. Rocking back and forth, Kurt asked, "Can we…can we go into your house?"

"Yeah," sniffled Blaine. "I guess. If you want to."

"Can we go inside and finish talking? It's rather cramped in here. And I think we're going to need another tissue box before we're done," he remarked.

Nodding, Blaine risked placing a slow kiss on Kurt's neck, pleased to note that the action caused the other teen to shudder. "Talk and then I can take you home," he said quietly.

Kurt pushed Blaine away from his chest so they could look at each other. "Or talk and then we can go to sleep," he pointed out.

"Sleep?" Blaine was puzzled.

Kurt offered a small shrug. "It's dumb. But I was really looking forward to waking up in your arms tomorrow. You know, since we were all going to camp out on the lawn."

"That's not dumb, Kurt," insisted Blaine. "We could always go back to Nick's."

Shaking his head in the negative, Kurt explained, "I'm not ready to face your friends again. But if spending the night together here makes you uncomfortable, then we don't have to do it."

Blaine shot him a watery smile. "Between Dalton and Nana Sterling, I've had excellent training in behaving like a gentleman. I'm fairly confident that I can keep my hands to myself."

Leaning in, Kurt stole a kiss, tasting the salt from Blaine's tears on his lips. "Or not."

Clearing his throat, Blaine echoed, "Or not."

* * *

Blaine felt like he was suffocating. It was only when he fully regained consciousness that he realized an almost naked Kurt draped across his chest was the cause of that sensation. He took a long moment to savor this. They had talked long into the night about everything they had been thinking and feeling about each other, about Friday night and how it had maybe spun a little out of control – no regrets – but maybe they had gone a little further than either had meant to.

Then they had decided to go to sleep. Blaine, being a gentleman, had offered Kurt the use of the guest room – which Kurt refused, stating it was ridiculous to dirty two pairs of sheets, and besides, he had full intentions of waking up in his boyfriend's arms. Yes, they had made it official – though wouldn't be sharing that information with too many people until after Kurt had finished his lessons.

It was August, and the Anderson's house never cooled down that well, so Blaine had opened his bedroom window, turned on two fans, and both boys had stripped down to their boxer shorts to fall to sleep. Though, apparently, Kurt had gotten chilled in the night and had curled up to Blaine's body heat to keep warm. Blaine began stroking Kurt's pale back with his free hand.

"Mmmm, t's nice," mumbled Kurt, slowly waking up. He propped his chin up on Blaine's chest. "Hi!"

"Hi!"

They grinned goofily at each other until Blaine's stomach growled noisily.

"Okay, Mr. Anderson. Breakfast, then Lima?"

"What time is it?" Blaine's bedroom was filled with bright sunlight.

Kurt grabbed his shorts and pulled out his phone. "What the…?

"What is it?" called Blaine from the bed.

Kurt looked up. "I've got 7 voice mails, 15 text messages, and a bunch of missed calls. Nick. Jeff. My dad. Finn. Austin." Punching in his password, Kurt began to listen to the voice messages.

Blaine grabbed his own phone out of the charger only to find the same thing. Nick had left him several voice messages, each one sounding more urgent and more concerned.

"_Anderson, where are you? Call me."_

"_Blainers, seriously, where are you and Kurt? Please call me when you get this?"_

"_Look, Blaine, Kurt told my mom you were taking him home last night. She called his dad this morning to make sure he made it home okay. He's not there, and now everyone is freaking out. Call me."_

Then came two successive messages that made him nauseous.

"_Blaine, it's Pete. We just want to make sure you and Kurt are okay. Please call us."_

"_Blaine, this is Burt. Burt Hummel. Kurt's dad. Your friend Nick said that you and Kurt had some sort of fight last night, but that you were bringing him home to Lima. He's not here. Please call me, or Nick, or someone and let us know if you've seen Kurt. And to let us know that you're okay, too. Thank you, son."_

Looking at Kurt's panicked face, Blaine knew he was listening to a series of messages that must be similar to his. He quickly dialed Nick, who picked up on the first ring yelling out, 'It's Blaine!'.

"I'm fine, Nick. Kurt's fine. I'm so sorry for making everyone worry."

"Where are you?"

"We ended up at my house."

"So did you do what I suggested?" Nick asked pointedly.

Blaine smiled. "Yeah. Both things. We just woke up and saw that our phones exploded. _Shit_. Is your mom okay? I feel like such an ass. I keep screwing things up. I'm not even sure how this could be worse." He ran the hand not holding his phone through his hair.

"Um, it's _worse_," called out Kurt who was staring out the bedroom window.

Blaine looked over to him. "Huh? What Kurt?"

Kurt turned away from the window, grabbing the t-shirt he'd been wearing the day before and yanking it down onto his body. "It's worse. My dad and Pete Sterling just pulled up to your house."

Having overheard Kurt's answer, Nick chuckled grimly. "I'll make it an excellent eulogy, Anderson.

"_Jackass_," he said into the phone.

"Made you smile. I'll see you later tonight. At home, or, you know, on the news. You did take a nice yearbook photo last year," Nick teased gently.

"I hate you," Blaine said without any heat.

* * *

The boys hurriedly pulled on their discarded clothes and sandals before jogging downstairs. Blaine opened the door only to catch Mr. Hummel with his arm raised, about to knock. Burt stared at Kurt before pulling him into a hard embrace.

"Dad? Dad, I'm sorry." Kurt voice was full of remorse.

"Scooter, I was so worried. You have no idea. I'm just glad that you're okay, son." Burt looked up at Blaine and yanked him into the hug as well. "I'm glad you're both okay. I'm angry that between the two of you, neither of you had the sense to let someone know where the hell you were, but we can save that discussion for the drive home." Burt released both boys from his embrace.

Blaine went to stand before Pete. "Pete…I apologize for making you come all this way and for making you worry. I-"

Pete held up his hand, stopping Blaine in mid-sentence. "I appreciate what you are saying, Blaine. But right now, I can't talk with you. Burt and I discussed it, and you are going to ride home with him. Kurt, you're coming with me. Hopefully, by the time we're back in Lima, I'll be able to discuss your actions more calmly."

Blaine looked down at his shoes, as tears came to his eyes. "Pete, I…I don't have to come back, if it's gonna make things uncomfortable. I can stay here. The dorms are open at Dalton. I can move back early, if you're worried about me not being supervised." He drew comfort from Kurt's hand which had snuck into his own and was holding tight.

"I'm not letting you off that easy, Blaine." With that Pete strode back to his truck to wait for Kurt.

Embarrassed that he was crying in front of Kurt's father, Blaine tried to brush away the tears so that he could lock the front door of his parents' house. Finished, he stumbled down the walk way to his own car where he and Kurt pulled out their duffel bags. It was then that Kurt placed his hands on either side of Blaine's face and leaned in to kiss him gently.

Kurt turned to look at his father. "Do you remember telling me that I was going to have to go it alone until the day I could find someone as open and as brave as me? Well, I found him, Dad. Blaine and I had a long talk last night, and we're officially together. But we're not telling everyone until after I pass my test. So, Dad? Please don't kill my boyfriend. I'd kinda like to keep him around a bit longer"

Winking at Blaine, he finished. "You know, until prom at least…"

Burt smiled at his son. "I promise I will not kill him. I will not yell at him – _much_. And I promise that the three of us will sit down to discuss the consequences of your choices so that we are all clear on what those will be. Now, let's get something to eat before we hit the road."

"Thanks, Dad."

"You're welcome."

* * *

**A/N:** I realized reading this over one last time, that the more the boys have angst, the more they get to comfort each other. Hmmmm...


	9. Chapter Eight: I Know What I Know

**A/N**: Thank you to those of you who have favorited this story (or me) and/ or taken the time to review. It is a beautiful way to start my day. Even with the outlining I do, parts of this chapter came out of nowhere. My muse marches to her own drummer. I would also like to thank you for your patience while I wrote this chapter. I hope you are satisfied with the results.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Glee or its characters. I have invited some of the boys to play and will do my best to return them unharmed. The title and chapter titles are selections from Edie Brickell's _What I Am_. This is an A/U set during the summer before Kurt and Blaine enter their senior years at McKinley and Dalton respectively. Blaine is a year older that Kurt and repeated 9th grade; Kurt never went to Dalton. Both boys are a bit more confident than is necessarily portrayed in the show (more like season 2 Blaine & season 3 Kurt). The rating is due to language. Thank you for reading! Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter Eight:_ I Know What I Know_

A deep sigh. That was all he heard over the crackling phone line.

Blaine had been trembling the entire time he'd been talking to his mother about what had happened over the weekend. All he wanted was to do his best and to make his parents proud of him. But it was really hard to feel like they still loved and wanted him when his parents spent six or eight months of the year in a foreign country. How could they love him, if they didn't even know him?

And then, to have to call and explain _"Hey, Mama, I have a boyfriend now and we spent the night alone at our house. In my bed. With only our underwear separating us. Hope you don't mind. How's Dad?" _Not that he'd used those words exactly…but that was the gist of his story.

Nick had tried to cheer him up by saying it would make a great anecdote to share when he was best man at Blaine and Kurt's wedding.

Blaine may or may not have expressed his displeasure at Nick through sharing his entire repertoire of obscene finger gestures. Which didn't prevent Nick from tossing his car keys to Blaine, with a grin, acknowledging the fact that Blaine was going to be late to work this morning.

"_Blaine_?" his mother's voice finally came through the phone. "_Sweetheart, I want you to know that I am happy that you have found someone that you care about. I really, truly am. I am looking forward to meeting Kurt when we come back to Ohio in October. You also need to know how deeply disappointed I am in your behavior."_

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Blaine lay back on his bed in Nana Sterling's house listening to the reproach in his mother's voice.

_"Part of why we have let you stay in Ohio was because we know how important your friends are to you, Blaine. But you __**know**__ we never would have allowed you to have your boyfriend over alone, let alone sleep in the same bed."_

"I know, Mama," Blaine answered quietly. "I'm sorry I broke your trust. It won't happen again."

_"I know it won't, Blaine," his mother stated firmly. "I fully support the restrictions that Pete and Kurt's father have laid out for the two of you. I think they are fair consequences to the lack of judgment you both showed. However, I need you to understand this…if you pull __**anything**__ else like this with Kurt again, I will be the one to call Dalton and have him placed on the Visitor Exclusions list. I will also revoke your open campus privileges. You won't be able to leave, and he won't be able to visit."_

Blaine felt an overwhelming tightness in his chest. "Mama, _please_, no. Don't do _that_," he pleaded.

_"Like driving a car, leaving school and hosting visitors are privileges, Blaine. You earn privileges by showing maturity and good judgment. I'm not changing anything yet, because I trust you when you say you will abide by the rules – Dalton's rules, the Sterling's rules, and our family rules, Blaine."_

"Yes, Mama."

_"I love you, Blaine. And I'm proud of you for admitting what you did. That took a lot of courage. Now, I know you need to go to work, so I'll let you go. Look at yourself in the mirror and give yourself a hug from me."_

A weak smile formed on Blaine's lips at his mother's ritual goodbye. "I will, Mama. I love you, too."

* * *

"You're alive," teased Nick as he walked over to Kurt. The lap swimmers were climbing out of the pool, and since there was no sign of Blaine, Nick let Rebecca and Jeff know he'd be taking over Kurt's lesson in the meantime.

Kurt could feel himself flush with embarrassment. It was the first time he'd seen anyone since they'd left the party on Saturday. "Yes. Alive. I was more worried about what my dad would do to Blaine. Nick, I'm so sorry you got dragged into our…our fight and everything that happened after. I can't imagine what your parents are thinking."

Nick slung his arm over Kurt's shoulders, guiding him across the pool deck towards the lifeguards' table and chairs. "Meh. Mom and Dad get it. Don't worry. But we do need to talk about how we're going to approach this thing with Austin while we're in the pool this morning."

Swinging his head around, Kurt noticed for the first time that Blaine wasn't anywhere around. "Nick, where's Blaine? They didn't-?"

"No, they didn't fire him. There's no cause. No, his mom finally called him back, so he's talking with her right now. He'll be here, eventually. I gave him my keys and told him I'd take over your lesson until he got here." Nick had walked over to the ladder while talking, but stopped to look at Kurt. "I mean, I realize that I kinda assumed you'd be okay with that by now."

Kurt's eyes widened at the implication. "Oh god, yes. Nick, I'm perfectly fine with you giving me my lesson," he assured.

Nick took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Good. I'm glad. Okay, let's do a little warm up and then we can swim some laps. Blaine said you still need to learn to tread water, but I thought I'd save that for him. Besides, this will give us some time to talk about…you know."

Nodding, Kurt climbed down into the pool and followed Nick out to the middle of the pool where they began stretching and warming up for swimming laps. "So what can you tell me about Austin?"

Keeping his voice low, Nick shared much of what had taken place after Kurt and Blaine had left the party. "He's doing okay. I've tried to talk to him about telling his parents or Jeff or Pete…that he likes boys, but he refuses. I don't think it has anything to do with how he feels they'll react, but more about protecting Owen."

"Everyone has to come out at their own pace," Kurt observed.

"I know," Nick answered. "I just think…he's really young to be dealing with all of this by himself. And that's not how the Sterlings usually operate. Right now, it's you, me and Blaine who know."

"And Owen," Kurt added with a smile.

Nick laughed. "Yeah, and Owen. Oh, you should know that Austin saw two of our _gardeners_ leaving the wine cellar right after he saw Blaine in tears. Cliché, I know. But no one questioned it."

"Gardeners. Got it."

Pushing away from the wall, Nick gestured for Kurt to follow him. "So, any particular order you want to go in?"

Kurt stared out at the deep end of the pool where the sun was just beginning to break over the tree line in the distance. "Back, side, crawl."

"Okay. Today we're working on endurance. I don't want you to not be able to complete the test because you run out of energy," Nick explained.

Shooting Nick an incredulously look, Kurt scoffed, "It's _three_ laps, Nick, not the Iron Man."

Nick shot his own look to Kurt. "_Uh huh_. And you've been swimming laps for how long? Three weeks tops? Listen, I don't mean to get down on you. But I _know_ what nerves can do to you. You're going to go in to the test like we do to a swim meet. All excited and nervous. You're gonna push yourself to swim faster than normal, because you'll want to just get it done. If you don't time things right, you _will_ run out of energy. And if you fail the test this month, there will be four more weeks before you and Blaine can see each other again outside of being chaperoned."

Dropping his eyes, Kurt muttered, "He told you."

"He's my closest friend, Kurt. Yes, he told me everything," Nick confirmed.

The tone of Nick's words drew Kurt's attention back up. "Wait, _everything_ everything?"

"_Everything_, everything. Friday night. Saturday night. Sunday's drive home with your dad. You own his heart, Kurt. He doesn't want to screw things up – and he feels really conflicted about spending the night with you. Mostly because he feels responsible for breaking the trust of all the adults in your lives."

Running his hand through his hair, Kurt sighed. "That's so _stupid_, Nick. I was right there with him. If it wasn't something I wanted, I would have said something. Did he tell you that staying at his house was my idea? He offered to go back to your house, and I said I wanted to stay. He offered a guest room, and I told him I wanted to be next to him. God, we need to talk."

Nick reached a hand out to squeeze Kurt's shoulder. "Not going to get an argument here. Maybe…maybe you could bring him some lunch today? I'm sure we could give you guys some privacy. I'll make sure Jordan makes sure Jeff is otherwise occupied." Nick was happy to note that Kurt was smiling again. "Just an idea."

Clearing his throat, Nick went back into lecture mode. "So, as I was saying before, we need to work on your endurance. You need to carb up before your test, so we'll take you out for pasta. No, don't shake your head. Tori and I would love to chaperone…from our own table. What you are going to do today to ensure our awesome double date is swim for seven minutes straight, then you take a break for two, then seven minutes with the next stroke, two minute break, etc. What I want you to think about is pacing yourself, so you can make the entire seven minutes. I'll swim next to you and call out the time. Got it?"

Kurt nodded, taking a few slow deep breaths before turning so his back was towards the deep end. "Let's do this, Duvall." With that said, Kurt pushed off the bottom of the pool and began swimming laps. If he allowed his mind to drift off to the happier moments of the past three days, so be it.

* * *

Kurt had just finished fixing his hair when he heard the door to the locker room open. Blaine's voice echoed as he called out, "Kurt? Are you still in here?"

"Yes, Blaine," he answered. Bending to place his comb and hairspray back in his duffle bag, Kurt wasn't surprised to see Blaine in the mirror when he stood back up. "Hi!" he said with a smile.

Guilt was written all over Blaine's face. "I'm so sorry for missing our lesson, Kurt. I-"

"Was talking to your mom," interrupted Kurt. "Nick told me. It's all good. He had me work on my endurance," Kurt explained, waggling his eyebrows suggestively. He might have added more, but they weren't alone in the locker room, as kids of all sizes were coming in and out to change, use the toilets, or to shower before going into the pool.

Blaine's guilt slowly faded into interest. "Really?"

"Yup. Seven minutes of lap swim per stroke with a two minute break in between. I think I'm going to need a nap this afternoon…then he went and told me that _you_ guys swim like 45 minutes to an hour almost without stopping when you're training during swim season." Kurt's tone was one of admiration laced with disbelief.

Glancing around, Kurt stepped up to Blaine. "_Now_ I understand how you earned that amazing physique, Anderson." Kurt kept his voice low, and made sure to hold Blaine's gaze for two heartbeats longer than necessary before languidly sliding his eyes down Blaine's tanned chest, and a bit further, before making the return journey. He winked flirtatiously, then flounced out of the locker room, into the morning's heat.

"_Hummel_," ground out Blaine as he chased after his boyfriend.

Kurt had almost made it to the gate by the spectators' bleachers by the time Blaine caught up to him. "Hey, what's the hurry?" he asked, concerned.

Stopping with his hand on the gate, Kurt's looked pointedly in the direction of Rebecca Michaels, who was sitting in the lifeguard chair, supervising the morning set up for classes. "It was a little chilly this morning when I got here," he whispered with a frown.

Blaine closed his eyes and sighed.

Still speaking so no one could over hear, Kurt attempted to reassure Blaine. "Don't apologize. We were both at fault…and I'd do it again. _Without_ our misunderstanding. But the waking up with you. _Definitely_ looking forward to a repeat of that. So no more sad, puppy dog faces. How did Pete put it? We'll do the time, and then…maybe work on not get caught next time?"

Blaine laughed. Kurt was adorable when he was plotting to misbehave.

"Anderson! Wrap it up. This is neither the time nor the place for flirting or asking Kurt out. You have a _job_ to do, and your co-workers would appreciate your pulling your own weight – especially given they had to cover for you this morning. You're lucky I didn't write you up for that." Rebecca was glaring at the two of them over her shoulder.

The subtle changes in Blaine's demeanor would have been missed by all but his closest friends. The warmth and sparkle in his eyes flickered out. His jaw tensed. And then, Kurt heard the change in his tone of voice, and knew that this was the persona Blaine wore at Dalton Academy. This was "prep school" Blaine Anderson.

"Yes, ma'am. Hummel and I were just deciding on a time for his next lesson. I won't take more than two minutes, if that meets with your approval."

There was no sarcasm in his tone, no anger or embarrassment. Just a matter-of-fact explanation of the purpose of their conversation and an official request for the time to do so. Perhaps a stranger would have been impressed with the dapper politeness of the teen. For everyone who worked with Blaine, who knew Blaine, it was a alarming change.

Nick froze. As did the rest of the lifeguards and volunteers who were close enough to hear. Watching his friend, Nick felt fear picking its way up his spine to nest in the back of his neck. He hadn't seen this version of Blaine in close to three years. Not since freshman year - before the trial.

Nick heard Scott and Jeff walk up next to him as they all looked between Blaine and Rebecca. He wasn't going to let this happen. With authority, Nick walked over to Blaine and Kurt. "B – walk Kurt out."

"I _can't_. I _have_ to do my job," Blaine replied.

Moving to block Blaine's view of Rebecca, Nick repeated himself more forcefully. "_Walk_. _Kurt_. _Out_." They stared each other down, having some sort of silent battle of wills, then finally, Blaine shrugged, turning back to Kurt, and motioned for him to lead the way out of the gate.

When the couple had cleared the second gate and walked around the corner, Nick turned slowly towards Rebecca. "_We_ need to talk. _Now_." Quiet and firm, his tone brooked no room for argument.

Rebecca removed her sunglasses to peer down at Nick. "_You_ need to get ready for classes."

Nick stared at Rebecca for several long moments before clucking his tongue against the roof of his mouth. "Okay, _Bec_. If _that's_ how you want to play this." He strode purposefully towards the office where he calmly walked through the open door, pulling it shut behind him.

* * *

They had just agreed that Kurt would come back later that afternoon so Blaine could teach him how to tread water, when Nick marched up, dressed in his street clothes. "Need a ride home, Kurt?" he asked as if nothing was amiss.

Startled at their friend's unexpected appearance, both Blaine and Kurt looked at Nick like he'd grown a second head. It took a moment for Kurt to find his voice. "Yeah, technically. Dad took my car away until school starts. Why?" Kurt asked.

Jingling the keys in his hand, he offered nonchalantly, "Because I'm happy to drop you off on my way home."

When Nick started towards the parking lot, Blaine grabbed his arm. "What the hell, Nick? What are you talking about? You have work," he sputtered.

Nick shook his head. "Nope," he said, popping the P. "I called Parks and Rec and resigned. Effective immediately." Holding up his hands, Nick tried to get Blaine and Kurt to stop talking over each other. "Hey! Stop! It was my decision."

"Why? Why would you do that, Nick?" Kurt was so confused by his friend's actions.

Nick pushed his sunglasses to the top of his head so that he could look his friends in the eyes. "Because Becca was out of line. Because Blaine is closer to me than either of my brothers. Because I asked to talk to my _boss_ privately about my concerns and she refused. Because what you two got in trouble for doing this past weekend has **nothing** to do with our work here – and apparently the only person who is unwilling to accept that is Rebecca. I'm done. I'm not going to work here and watch you slowly disappear into yourself again, Blaine." Voice shaky, Nick's anger and frustration at the situation came through in spades, although he never raised his voice.

Nick reached out to grasp Blaine's biceps. "This is _my_ choice, Blainers. This isn't about you, this is about how you were _treated_. She owes you a major apology and I'm not even sure that's enough. I'm picking up my stuff and going home after I drop Kurt off. I'll see you on Saturday when we move our stuff in at Dalton." Nick pulled his friend in for a tight hug.

"And Blaine? If things get too tense…call me. You can come stay at our house. My mom will come pick you up, so that Pete and Rebecca can't say anything." Nick stepped back from Blaine and shifted his duffle bag from one shoulder to the other. Looking at Kurt, he asked, "Shall we?"

They'd maybe taken five steps when Jeff's voice called out, "Got room for three more?"

Carefully moving around the parents and children making their way towards the side entrance to the pool, Jeff, Austin, and Jordan came to stand with the others. Jordan explained, "Scott and Meghan are on the phone too. I don't know how quickly the Rec department can find five replacements. I do know that Rebecca isn't going to be able to hold classes with only two lifeguards. Three if you want to stay Blaine."

Blaine stared at the ground, emotionally overwhelmed at the show of support from his friends. "Thank you. I guess I need to go back and get my stuff."

"Nah, gotcha covered, Anderson." Meghan was coming out the front of the pool office, carrying her things as well as Blaine's. "Figured you didn't want to go back in. Scott told them you weren't feeling well and had to go home. The rest of us…well, we'll be collecting our final paychecks this Friday. " Tilting her head to the side, she smiled. "You know what? I'm kinda hungry. Scottie? What say I buy you some waffles?"

Scott laughed. "Like I'd ever pass up a chance for a free meal with a beautiful woman? Let's go, pretty lady." Slinging his arm around Meghan, Scott walked with her out into the parking lot.

Jeff looked down at Jordan. "They're not…"

"Together?" She smiled at him. "No. Just friends… with a common love of breakfast foods."

Satisfied that he hadn't missed out on a major piece of gossip, Jeff clapped his hands together once. "_So_… what are the rest of us doing, today?"

Nick met his best friend's eyes. "I don't know what's on your agenda. I'll be packing my things and moving home to Westerville."

Jeff's intake of breath was audible. "Um…wow. Okay."

"_Jeff_."

"No, I get it Nick," Jeff offered quietly. Needing an anchor, Jeff reached out and pulled Jordan into his arms, resting his chin on top her head. He looked pointedly at Austin. "I think we should go home, too, A. It's not gonna be pleasant at the house if we stay."

Looking at Nick, Austin asked, "Do you mind taking us back?"

"Of course not, Austin. If it was just your brother, maybe. God knows how difficult it is to be stuck in a car for an hour and a half with just him –" joked Nick, understanding that a little levity was needed to break some of the tension.

"Whatever, Duvall," voiced Jeff with a roll of his eyes. Jeff's arms tightened around Jordan as the realization dawned that leaving for Westerville meant he'd also be leaving his girlfriend. "Jordan?"

She smiled up at him. "Since my morning and afternoon are now, unexpectedly free, maybe I could borrow my sister's car and drive out to Westerville. Maybe Tori and Kurt would like to come with?" she offered at Kurt.

Kurt looked hopeful. "I'd need to ask my dad. Honestly, I have no idea what he'll say. But, if he says it's okay…and if Blaine's going too, then, yes, I'd love to catch a ride with you, Jordan."

"So Warbler Pool Party, take two this afternoon at the Duvall's?" hinted Jeff at Nick.

Nick smirked. "I'm sure Mom would be fine with that. _And_ I know she still has food to feed us. And I **know** that Blaine still has a few things to teach Kurt that require a pool – so, let's go see if we can convince Mr. Hummel that our road trip to Westerville won't end with inappropriate shenanigans."

Surrounded by his friends, Blaine offered his hand to Kurt, intertwining their fingers as everyone moved towards Nick's Honda. Leaning close to Kurt, he whispered, "Nick's an expert in inappropriate shenanigans, so he really has no room to talk. There was this one time, sophomore year when –"

* * *

It was just after noon when Jordan pulled up to the Duvall's house in Westerville and parked under an enormous shade tree. They'd all been surprised when Burt had agreed to allow Kurt to go back to Westerville, but once Nick and Blaine had explained privately what had gone down at the pool, and added that Kurt would be returning that evening, Burt had acquiesced.

Mrs. Duvall met the two girls and Kurt at the door, smiling warmly at them all. "Nick and the others are already outside. It's good to see you all again, so soon. Please help yourselves to the leftovers. Really. Otherwise, we'll be eating them the rest of the week and beyond," she laughed.

It didn't take much time before all of them were sitting at one of the patio tables, eating and enjoying the time together. Noticing that Austin wasn't around, Kurt asked where he'd gone.

Jeff swallowed a bite of macaroni salad. "He was texting Owen on the way here. I guess their club lacrosse team is having a conditioning session, so Jeff went out to get all 'hot and sweaty' with the boys."

Shooting furtive glances at each one another, Nick, Blaine and Kurt tried to be nonchalant in front of the others. Austin and Owen might be getting hot and sweaty, but all three of them doubted it was with their team.

Popping the last bit of a linguisa sausage into his mouth, Jeff chewed thoughtfully. "How long do you think it's gonna take Austin to admit that he and Owen are…you know."

Snatching up his glass of water, Blaine took his time drinking. Carefully placing it down, he looked carefully at Jeff. "I don't understand what you're asking."

Jeff sighed. "Look, I appreciate your loyalty to my brother and all…but Austin is my brother. He talks in his sleep. And someone, this weekend, gave him an impressive set of hickeys in places that are traditionally covered up by one's undergarments. I'm not stupid." Toying with the food on his plate, Jeff frowned.

"I know that everyone comes to terms with who they are on their own time." He looked up at Kurt and smirked. "See? I do pay attention. I like Owen. I love my brother. I just don't want him to feel like he can't be himself around me. And I have a pretty good idea of what really went down here on Saturday – and the fact that three of you don't look surprised in the least, means I was right that he's talked to you. So how long?"

Nick was the one who finally broke the silence. Standing up and clearing away the used paper plates, he spoke. "J – I won't break your brother's confidence. Just like I've never told anyone the things that you and Blaine have asked me to keep in secret. But I can tell you, we have Austin's back." He squeezed Jeff's shoulder before walking away with the trash.

Looking slightly less than satisfied with Nick's non-answer, Jeff asked Jordan to take a walk out to the gazebo with him so they could enjoy the hammock and talk about things. They left the table, holding hands.

Blaine leaned back in his chair and pushed his sunglasses so they were resting on top of his head. "_Hummel_," he said in a voice lower than normal.

"Anderson," Kurt replied, removing his own sunglasses and leaning forward, chin on his hand.

Tilting his head to the side, Blaine let a slow smile form on his lips. "I do believe I owe you a lesson in treading water. Care to join me in the pool?" He asked teasingly.

Kurt's eyes drifted down Blaine as far as the table allowed and then back up. "If it means you're talking your shirt off, I'm in," he flirted.

"Done." Quickly stripping off his shirt, Blaine leaned forward and captured Kurt's lips in a kiss.

"God, you two are really too freakin' adorable. Hurry up and go before I get a cavity from all your sweetness," giggled Tori. She tried to sound put out by the boys' behavior, but her laughter gave away the truth. Curled up with her feet tucked under herself, Tori appeared to be trying to catch up on her sleep.

Walking up behind his girlfriend, Nick placed his hands on her shoulders, rubbing gently. "What would you like to do, Tor?" Bending forward he placed a soft kiss to her forehead and then an upside down kiss on her lips."

With fatigue apparent in her voice, she answered, "Sleep with you."

All three boys stilled, not quite believing they'd heard her correctly.

Tori took two or three more breaths before she snapped forward in her chair. Flushing, she spun around to look at Nick. "Oh my god, that's _not_ what I meant. I don't want to sleep with you. _Shit_. I mean, I _like_ it when we…" Stopped from digging an even deeper hole by Nick's gentle kiss, Tori could feel the heat in her cheeks.

When he pulled away, she explained more calmly, "I'm exhausted. Could we…just drag the cushions out from the patio chairs and take a nap together in the shade?" She offered him a shy smile.

After they had gathered the cushions and made a nest with the pillows under the shady trees, Tori snuggled into Nick's arms, content. Not bothering to open her eyes, she placed a kiss on his bare chest, before admitting, "I love you, Nick Duvall. And in the interest of full disclosure – I am _completely_ satisfied with **all** aspects of our relationship."

Nick pulled his girlfriend closer, tucking her head under his chin so he could nuzzle into her hair. "I know, babe. And I love you, too. Get some rest. I'll be here when you wake up." It didn't take long before both of them were sleeping soundly.

Blaine held Kurt's hand, walking the deeper water of the Duvall's pool, stopping when it hit him mid-chest and they were in shade left by the trees surrounding the property. The shade alone seemed to drop the summer heat ten degrees, plus it meant he didn't have to squint at the beautiful man standing next to him.

"I know I promised you a lesson in treading water," Blaine started shyly. "But I was wondering if we could cross something off **my** bucket list first?" Running his thumb over the inside of Kurt's palm, Blaine pressed his lips together nervously.

Kurt could hardly believe that after all this time and everything they'd already done, that Blaine still became shy around him. It was endearing, and reminded Kurt just how precious their friendship, and their love, truly was. "Hey, look at me." Kurt tapped Blaine on the nose. "Don't be shy. We lose 100% of the opportunities we don't attempt."

Seeing Blaine smile, he added, "I got that on a fortune cookie once. What did you want to try, Anderson?" Kurt stepped closer, and dropping his low voice even further, he observed, "We do have an audience – of sorts. And after Saturday, I really don't want to do anything that might –"

Interrupting, Blaine shook his head firmly, "No! no it's not like that. I just wanted to try…I want to kiss you – under the water. That's all. But I totally understand if that's something you're not comfortable with."

Kurt circled Blaine's waist with his hands, allowing them to drift down until his fingers slipped into the waistband of his swimsuit. Tilting his head to the side, he brushed his lips against Blaine's. "How exactly do you propose we go about this?"

Blaine laughed nervously. "I…I'm not sure. It's not like I've done this before. Maybe we kiss, and then we can both sit down together? Or I could sit down and you could join me?"

"Let's try that. You go down first."

Blaine bit back an inappropriate comment and took a deep breath before allowing his feet to slip out from under him. Staring up through the water, he waited with anticipation for Kurt to slowly sink beneath the water.

Wrapping his legs around Blaine's waist, Kurt sat between the lifeguard's legs, facing him. Blaine reached out towards him, pulling his head closer and connecting their mouths.

It was wet, and hot, and awkward – but was Blaine's favorite kiss yet.

* * *

It had taken less than an hour to teach Kurt how to tread water – especially since Blaine was able to offer the incentive of kisses when Kurt met each of the goals Blaine set for him. Eventually they too crashed out under the trees, napping next to Nick and Tori as the afternoon grew into evening.

When it was time for Jordan to drive Tori and Kurt home, he was surprised to learn that Blaine had already decided to stay at the Duvalls rather than returning to Lima and Nana Sterling's house. Blaine explained he felt a clean break was better than trying to awkwardly spend the last two weeks of the summer being made to feel guilty over a decision that, while wrong, wasn't one he regretted.

"We move into the dorms on Saturday anyway," shrugged Blaine, as he walked Kurt to Jordan's car. "Speaking of which…would you like to help? We found out last Friday that we're getting a two bedroom suite, instead of just dorm rooms. We'll have a kitchen, two bathrooms, a study room and a balcony," he explained with excitement.

Kurt shook his head, amazed at the living arrangements offered by the private school. "A suite? Seriously?"

Blaine nodded. "Yeah. There's a lottery each year for the suites. Seniors get priority. So, I'm not sure which one of us got selected, but because we'd all put each other down as prospective roommates, we're together. Austin **so** lucked out. The only time a freshman or sophomore ends up in a suite is if he has an older brother to pull him in."

Drawing Kurt into an embrace, Blaine held him close. "Dalton has a welcome ceremony at 9:30am on Saturday. The Warblers are performing. Then we'll be moving our stuff in. I'd love if you could come to watch us, and I know you have to ask your dad, and that it means you'll have to get up super early on a Saturday. Will you at least consider it?"

"Of course, Blaine. I'd love to come see you perform. And to help you move your stuff in. I'll talk to my dad. Remember, he loves you – and he has a really hard time saying no when I really want something." Kurt gave Blaine one last goodbye kiss, before climbing in to the back of Jordan's car for the long drive back to Lima.

* * *

Early Saturday morning, Finn and Puck dropped Kurt off at Nick's house. They'd decided to spend the day checking out the Ohio State University campus in nearby Columbus and had arranged to pick Kurt back up later that evening at Dalton.

In the Dalton Auditorium, Kurt sat with Mr. and Mrs. Duvall, only to be joined by Mr. and Mrs. Sterling and Owen. Everyone was here to help with the move-in. Even Tori and Jordan would be joining later. The headmaster, an older gentleman, took the stage to welcome all the students, new and returning, and their families to the new school year. He made quick introductions of the new faculty members and the student council. Then, it was time.

"There are a great many traditions in which the boys of Dalton Academy take part. One of the most popular student organizations is our a capella choir, The Warblers. Please join me in welcoming them to the stage." The headmaster began the applause which quickly grew to nearly deafening proportions. The boys lined up in formation while Blaine walked over and shook the headmaster's hand. He took the microphone, smiling at the audience.

"Hi! I'm Blaine Anderson –" he was forced to stop speaking at the loud cheers and whistles that greeted him. "Um, thanks guys." He laughed to cover up his embarrassment. "As I was saying, I'm Blaine Anderson. I'm a senior, and this is my fourth year as a Warbler. I'd like to encourage those of you in your first year here at Dalton to try out as many clubs and organizations and sports teams as you can. We've got an amazing school and you'll find your niche somewhere."

Finally spotting Kurt, he smiled widely at him. "After the Labor Day, the Warblers will be holding open auditions for anyone interested in singing with us. If you like what you see, or more importantly, what you hear, please consider joining us. We are a competitive group and are planning on placing well enough to travel to the National show choir competition being held in Boston this year. Thank you." Blaine took his place in the formation and the performance began.

Afterwards, Blaine met Kurt outside, hugging his boyfriend tight. "What did you think?" he asked anxiously before pulling off the uncomfortably warm wool blazer.

"You were amazing," gushed Kurt. Glancing towards Nick and Jeff, he added, "All of you. I had no idea how…how good you guys are. I loved it."

Snaking his arm around Kurt's waist, Blaine pulled him towards the parking lot where the cars were still loaded with all the boxes and suitcases filled with Blaine, Austin, Jeff and Nick's stuff. "I'm glad. I'm glad you came and I'm glad you liked the performance. I know you'll be busy with school and all, but I'll send you our performance schedule. Hopefully you'll be able to come to a few."

"I want your swim schedule too," Kurt said in a normal voice, before dropping it so only Blaine could hear. "Any sanctioned chance to see you in one of those tight, skimpy swimsuits, Anderson – I'm taking it."

Blaine kissed Kurt's cheek. "Done." Pulling his white button down shirt away from his chest where it was beginning to stick, he commented "I can't wait to get to the suite so we can crank up the air conditioning and change. The uniform doesn't suck as much in the winter when it's cold, but August and September are a real bear to get through," explained Blaine.

Kurt placed his head on Blaine's shoulder as they walked up to the Duvall's mini-van. "The prep school look…it _really_ works for me, Blaine. **_Really_** works for me. Especially the tie. You have no idea."

With everyone they had helping, the boys were able to unpack and settle in to their suite by the end of the afternoon. They'd stopped for a lunch break, and Kurt had enjoyed getting to know Nick and Jeff's parents a little bit better. Mrs. Duvall had bought new sheets and towels for both Nick and Blaine as a gift, and Mrs. Sterling had purchased pots and pans for the kitchen. They had also paid for lunch and were offering to take everyone out to dinner as well.

Kurt glanced at Blaine trying to get a feel for what he wanted to do. Seeing his slight shrug, Kurt made his excuse. "Mrs. Duvall, thank you for the offer, but I think I'll just stay here. I'm not sure when my step-brother is going to be done at OSU and picking me up."

"That's alright, Kurt. Maybe next time," she said graciously.

Mrs. Sterling looked up from where she'd been speaking with Owen. "Kurt? I thought you and Blaine weren't supposed to be alone together," she pointed out, not unkindly.

"It's okay, Mom," said Austin. "Owen and I will stay home. We're not going to get to see each other until Labor Day, so…it's not a problem. I mean…for us it's not a problem. Is that okay with you?" he asked timidly.

She ruffled his hair affectionately. "Of course. I know you two have missed hanging out this summer. Why don't you at least walk out with us so I can get my goodbye hug and kiss." Her eyes glistened as she held back the tears she felt at the thought of her baby starting high school.

Plans decided, the large group got up to leave. Handshakes and hugs were given all around. Last to leave, Jeff and Austin followed their parents and Jordan out to the parking lot. Owen was sprawled out on the leather couch, eyes closed as the fatigue of the day finally seemed to hit him. Kurt sat on the opposite side of the couch, while Blaine lay on the carpet, arm tossed over his eyes. It was a fairly comfortable silence as they all just wanted to relax.

Clearing his throat, Owen started to speak. "I…I've been waiting…waiting for the right time to say thank you. Since the party…I wanted to say thank you, for not saying anything…about what you heard. About it being me…and Austin. And to apologize for…things."

The couch creaked as Owen sat up, holding his hands between his knees. "I'm not sure you know how much that meant to me," Owen mumbled, staring at his hands.

Kurt and Blaine shared a look. "We do," they answered at the same time. Kurt slid next to Owen, placing his hand on the other boy's knee and squeezing lightly. "Owen, coming out…there's no right or wrong way. Blaine and I…we've both had some really _fucked _up things done to us because we made the choice to not hide who we are. We get it. Please don't every think we're judging you – nothing could be further from the truth."

Having sat up, Blaine moved so he was kneeling in front of Austin's boyfriend. "Austin's our friend, Owen. I've known him since he was 10. The fact that he thinks you hung the stars speaks volumes to me as to the type of guy you must be. But Kurt and I want you to know, that regardless of how things play out between the two of you, you are always welcome to talk to us about…being gay."

Kurt picked up Blaine's thoughts. "It isn't easy, Owen. We've both felt lonely and scared and like we'd never be accepted for who we are. So you're going to take our phone numbers and email addresses. Then, when you start feeling bad, you can call us to talk. We promise to be there for you, Owen. Because we both wish someone had been there for us, back when we first came out."

The front door to the suite swung open to reveal Austin Sterling. He stared at his three friends, sitting just a little too close on the couch, and smirked. Closing the door and locking it, he bounced forward, launching himself over the arm of the couch so he landed across Kurt and Owen's laps. He reached a hand up, wrapping his fingers around the back of Owen's neck. "Miss me?" he asked seductively.

Blaine burst out laughing as Owen flushed a deep red. "Sorry. Sorry. I'm laughing _near_ you, not _at_ you." At his boyfriend's swift smack on his arm, Blaine admitted, "_Okay_. I _am_ laughing at you. _And_ near you. That was priceless."

Standing, Blaine offered a hand to Kurt to help him off of the couch. Pointing a finger at Austin, he said, "Since I **know** your brother wouldn't have thought to tell you this, I _am_. House rules, Sterling 5.0 _and_ boyfriend." Blaine made sure to look both of them in the eye before ticking off the rules that had been handed down through the years by the Dalton boys.

"1) No sex while other people are home – even if they are asleep in a different room. Break this rule and you will have to do everyone in the suite's chores two weeks; 2) No sex in anyone else's bed. Break this rule and you lose your mattress – for the year; 3) No sex in the common areas of the suite. Same punishment as rule one; 4) if you stupidly forget to lock the door while engaged in intimacies of the unclothed kind, you will complete the house chores of the person who walked through the door for one month. 5) This one is more of a guideline, not a rule, by the way. If your guest is staying overnight, please inform your roommate ahead of time. It's just polite. _Although_, you _do_ have an amazing roommate this year who will probably be most accommodating when it comes to…spur of the moment _happenings_." Blaine winked at Austin, who was also flushed from embarrassment by Blaine's frankness.

"Of course, _he_ might ask for that same understanding occasionally, as well," he shrugged. "And finally…when Nick and Jeff have the girls over…and they will have them _over_ over…well, you _know_ the consequences of getting caught with a girl in your room past hours…since we're in a suite, they'd apply those same consequences to all of us. All of us who were home at the time. They'll let you know so you have the option to spend the night somewhere else. No judgment if you choose to do that."

Cocking his head to the side, Blaine made a thoughtful face. "You know, it's probably one of the few times it works out _better_ to be gay. Kurt and Owen will be able to spend the night and they'll never be questioned for it."

Realizing he'd made a pretty big assumption and maybe revealed too much of what Austin had shared with him at the party, Blaine backtracked. "Not that Owen will be spending the night or that you're doing anything. _Just_…if you _are_, well, now you know everyone's…_expectations_."

Blaine couldn't help but grin at the couple on the couch. Owen still had a lap full of Austin, who was gazing up at him, playing with his hair. Nudging Kurt towards the hallway where the two bedrooms were, he stage-coughed. "Since you're the youngest member of the suite, it is your duty to order pizza. I'll pay when it gets here. Kurt and I will be in our room…_communicating_ –"

"Communicating? Riiiiight," laughed Austin.

"Yes, keeping up choral relations," answered Blaine smugly. "We'll be playing music fairly loudly as part of our…_communications_, so you'll have to stay out here and listen for the delivery guy. The cable TV hasn't been turned on yet, so you'll have to find some **other** way of entertaining yourselves. There are some UNO cards and a Monopoly game in the coat closet, for example…" he teased, pulling Kurt after him.

Dropping his head towards Austin's pink lips, Owen growled out, "Thanks. I think we'll manage."

Kurt caught a glimpse of their kiss before Blaine basically manhandled him into his room, shutting and locking the door. Rolling his eyes at his boyfriend, whose bouncing would give Tigger a run for his money, Kurt went over to put some music on the iPod dock. Satisfied with the playlist, Kurt turned back to Blaine and shook his finger.

"Aren't you concerned about those rules you just listed?" Kurt reached for the bottom of his shirt and swiftly yanked it off. A surge of confidence flowed through him at Blaine's sharp whimper.

Pulling off his own shirt, Blaine laid back on his twin bed, beckoning Kurt to join him. Once Kurt had straddled his lap, Blaine shook his head. "No. I've learned some things about rooming with people in the three years I've boarded. Things I've never personally been able to apply until now. Things like, if your roommate is too busy getting sexy with his boyfriend in the other room, he can't walk in on you getting sexy with yours. And if the music is loud enough…"

Kurt dropped his head down to brush his lips slowly across Blaine's mouth. "How long until the pizza gets here?" he groaned softly.

"Forty minutes from when Austin makes the call." Blaine had pulled back just enough to answer before returning to their slow kiss.

"And when are Jeff and Jordan due back?"

"Couple hours."

Kurt leaned in, pressing his lips to the space below Blaine's ear that he knew made his boyfriend melt. "Seems to me, _Anderson_, you should text Austin to hurry up and order that pizza. At least then, he'll know how long he and Owen can…do what they're doing. Without worrying about someone showing up." Kurt lightly bit the spot on Blaine's neck, then flicked his tongue across the bruised skin.

"_Fuck_, _Kurt_." Blaine didn't try to contain the moan that bubbled out of him. "You're _so_ smart. That's such a turn on."

Kurt shook as he tried to hold his laughter. "Text him, Blaine. Then I can continue to turn you on…with my intelligence. Or…with other methods," he whispered into Blaine's ear.

Blaine lunged for his cell phone.

* * *

A loud rapping on the door separated them for the first time since Blaine had sent Austin the text message. They'd kept it controlled. Oh, heated for sure. But definitely more controlled. It would have made catching their breath easier had it not been Pete Sterling's police sergeant voice commanding authoritatively, "Blaine Devon Anderson, outside. Now!"

"Fuck _me_," came Blaine's immediate response, low enough so only Kurt could hear. "**Be right there**!" He called over the music, rolling off of Kurt, the bed and onto his feet. Kurt shook his head in annoyance. This wasn't going to be pretty.

Picking up their t-shirts, Kurt made to throw Blaine his, when Blaine shook his head firmly and motioned for Kurt to drop them back on the floor. "Nuh uh. We haven't done anything wrong, and I'm not going to be made to feel guilty over this. Not here. Not at Dalton."

Grasping Kurt's hand in his, Blaine opened the door and brushed past Pete, towing Kurt behind. When he turned the corner he wasn't surprised to see Rebecca standing in the center of the room. He was surprised to find Austin alone on the couch, hair completely messed, and lips swollen. Looking into Austin's eyes, he silently asked where Owen had gone, only to receive a blank stare back.

Blaine knew from history that sometimes the best offensive strike was to allow your opponent the first move. Then you knew what their plan was, and could adjust your counterattack accordingly. In keeping with this, he guided Kurt to sit next to Austin, sat on the arm of the couch and waited.

"Well?" asked Pete, clearly expecting Blaine to respond with an apology or confession or denial.

Blaine fought the instinct to cross his arms defensively and continued to gaze at Pete.

"So you have nothing to say for yourself?" Pete turned his piercing blue eyes towards Kurt. "What about you, Kurt? Does your father know you're here? With Blaine?"

Kurt raised an eyebrow, clearly showing his annoyance at being interrogated. "Yes, Sergeant Sterling. My father knows I am here."

"Alone? With Blaine. I'm pretty sure he doesn't know that." Rebecca's voice was laced with disdain.

Kurt barely glanced her way before looking back at Pete. "He knows I'm here. With Blaine. And Austin. Which, by definition, means we weren't alone," he sassed back.

"He certainly wasn't in the bedroom with you two while you were doing…whatever you were doing." Rebecca was flustered at the boys' behavior, pushing back instead of admitting they were in the wrong.

Feeling the nervous energy of Austin pour over him, Kurt reached over and placed his hand on Austin's wrist, lending his support with his touch. Shooting Rebecca his bitchiest look, he didn't hide his contempt. "No- Rebecca, he wasn't. I'm not comfortable with threesomes and I'm not Austin's type."

Pete took a step forward towards Kurt. "That was out-of-line, Kurt," he snapped.

Kurt stood, and stepped towards Pete. Hands on his hips, he glared at the officer. "No, Sergeant. You and Ms. Michaels are out of line. What I do with my boyfriend is none of your concern. Your opinions, sarcastic or otherwise, are unwanted and unwelcome."

Pointing at Austin, Pete said heatedly, "Austin's my brother. So what happens around him is my business. And whether it comes from me, or my parents, the message is going to be the same: we don't condone this kind of behavior around Austin, or anyone's Austin's age."

Kurt reeled back as if he'd been physically slapped by Pete.

Blaine's head snapped towards Austin, watching as all of the color left the boy's face. This entire situation was completely fucked. "Get. Out." He demanded. Blaine rose and stomped to the door, flinging it open and gesturing out into the hallway. "You need to leave now. Both of you."

Pete shook his head, "No way. I'm not leaving –" he began before being interrupted by Blaine.

"I said: Get Out! Now!" Blaine's voice was growing louder and several of the surrounding doors had opened as the Dalton boys curiosity got the best of them.

Looking out the door, Blaine found Trent among the heads in the hallway. "Trent, call security."

Meeting Pete's blistering gaze, Blaine realized that he wasn't going to lose this battle. He simply wasn't, because he refused to give Pete or Rebecca that power. "You need to get the hell out of my suite. I didn't ask you here. You show up unexpected and then spew homophobic bullshit at me, my boyfriend, and your younger brother who you're so allegedly worried about. That's about as fucked up as it comes, Pete."

As soon as Blaine had said the word 'homophobic', Pete's face changed into one of confusion. "Blaine? I don't –"

"I'm not done. Sorry for taking a breath and giving you the impression I was done talking. It was bad enough when your fiancée decided to chew me out in public at work, and it doing so, out me – to everyone sitting in the bleachers –" Blaine stared hard at Rebecca. "Your talk about how you wanted to support me and Kurt, about how we should be careful so that no one would complain about our 'gayness' – it was all bullshit," he spat.

"Blaine I didn't do that," Rebecca protested.

Austin looked up from the couch where he had his arms wrapped around his knees. "Yes, you did," he stated, startling everyone since they'd almost forgotten he was in the room. He looked at Rebecca. "You told Blaine '_This is neither the time nor the place for flirting or asking Kurt out_.'" Austin did a fair impression of his future sister-in-law. "Loud. And the morning classes were all there." He stood up and walked around the far-side of the couch to avoid Rebecca and visible flinched away from Pete as he moved passed him.

"Blaine's right. You need to go. And Pete? Mom and Dad taught us that everyone deserves to be treated with respect. Blaine and Kurt are my friends, Pete. If you can't respect them – if you can't accept them for who they are – then…then I can't be around you," he managed to choke out before speeding away to Nick and Jeff's room, carefully shutting the door behind him and locking it.

The pizza delivery guy picked that exact moment to show up with three large pizzas for "Owen".

Blaine reached into his pocket for his wallet, paying for the pizzas and handing the off to Kurt. He didn't budge from his spot in the open doorway, staring pointedly at Pete. He heard Trent's voice directing security towards their room. Once the two guards entered, the fight seemed to go completely out of Pete. "Sorry, gentlemen. We were just on our way out," he assured them, taking Rebecca's arm and gently leading her to the door.

Blaine refused to look at either one of them in the face as they passed.

"Blainers? Not that it matters at this point, but what I said had nothing to do with your sexuality. I don't have any problems with the fact that you're gay. I just meant that I didn't think that Mom and Dad would want Austin around two people engaged in sexual activities," Pete explained softly.

"We were kissing, not having sex. Kissing – something Austin sees all the time between you and Becca, Jeff and Jordan, Nick and Tori. But you're right. It doesn't matter, because it doesn't change things. Words have meaning. You can't just throw them out there without thinking about their impact."

Rebecca was close to tears. "I'm sorry, Blaine."

Closing the door, Blaine snapped the lock into place.

* * *

When the knock on the front door had come, Austin had slid off of Owen to go answer it, surprised that the pizza delivery had made it to the dorms so quickly. His surprise had turned to panic when looking through the peep hole, he recognized his brother, Pete.

"What?" rasped Owen, voice still filled with desire.

Austin took a breath, trying to calm his nerves before striding over to Owen. "It's Pete," he whispered.

"Shit. Austin, how the hell are we gonna explain?" Owen gestured frantically towards the hickeys Austin had left down the side of his neck and chest.

"I know." Austin spun his boyfriend around and pointed to the hallway, "Go hide in Jeff's room."

Owen had cupped Austin's face lovingly, placing a gentle kiss on his lips before running down the hall, pulling the door shut after him.

When Austin had finally left the tension filled front room, he went to find Owen. Pulling open the closet door, he found Owen, sitting on the floor, arms wrapped around himself. Austin knew that sometimes days were so absurd that your only choices were to either laugh, or cry. He'd had enough of crying for quite some time, so Austin chose to laugh instead.

Giggling, he sat down next to Owen, picking up his hand to play with his fingers. "Owe…isn't this a bit of a cliché? You and me, in the closet." He made a show of moving the clothing around, "Are there any skeletons in the back?"

That last comment had its intended effect. Owen's mouth turned up at the sides. "God, A. It's your brother's closet. I can only imagine," he said gravely.

They sat silently, hands interlinked, Owen's head resting on Austin's shoulder. Austin moved his head, so he could place a soft kiss on Owen's forehead. "I meant what I said."

"And said what I meant. An elephant's faithful, 100%," Owen whispered back the words to a Dr. Suess book that Austin had given him as a birthday present a year ago.

"That too," murmured Austin. "I'm willing to do this with you. At whatever pace you want to take. If it means sitting in the closet with you, or standing outside in the sun."

Shifting slightly, Owen looked deep into Austin's eyes. "Thank you."

"Anytime, Horton." Austin moved a bit so he could kiss Owen's mouth. "Do you remember any rules about making out in a closet? Cause I don't, and I really would like to kiss you now."

Shaking his head, Owen groaned. "No. No rules. I was paying attention, I swear."

Not much later there was a light knock on the door, followed by Kurt's soft voice. "Pizza's here."

Owen stood up slowly, offering his hand to Austin to help him stand. "Coming!" he called out.

"That's what HE said," answered both voices from the other side of the door.

* * *

Kurt stood with Nick, Jeff, and Blaine on the far side of the Dalton pool, staring into the deep end. Ten weeks of lessons boiled down to this. Just over 24 hours from now, Kurt would be standing on the deck of McKinley's pool, ready to take his official proficiency test.

It was late afternoon, and all students who'd been here today to beat the heat had left.

Ten weeks ago Kurt had walked into a pool office with his dad, petrified of being near any water deeper than a puddle. Today, in the blistering heat of the August afternoon, Kurt was confident in his ability to swim. No more panic attacks. No more excuses as to why he couldn't come to a swim party or the water park. All because of the patience and care of a curly-haired lifeguard and his two best friends.

Sniffling, Kurt swiped the back of his hand across his nose. A little gross, but he'd be in the water in just a moment. Looking over at the lifeguards, dressed in t-shirts and shorts, Kurt smiled. Not only had he learned to swim, he'd also made three amazing friends. Well, more than that actually, as he also included Austin, Jordan and Tori in those numbers. "Thank you," he rasped, voice choked with emotion.

"Hey, Kurt, what's wrong?" asked Blaine.

Kurt shook his head before walking three steps and throwing his arms around Blaine, unconcerned about who would see them. Holding on to Blaine as tight as he could, Kurt met both Jeff and Nick's eyes. "Just thank you. The three of you have no idea what this means to me. I couldn't be here without you." Kurt managed to hold back the tears he could feel threatening to break.

Not hesitating for a moment, Nick wrapped his arms around Blaine and Kurt. "You're welcome, Kurt. Thanks for bringing the spark back to our Blainers here. You're going to kick ass at your test tomorrow. We all know it."

Jeff joined the trio content, for once, to be silent.

They stood there together as Kurt gathered his strength. "Okay, guys. Let's do this," he said quietly. As Nick and Jeff stepped back, Kurt leaned forward to brush a quick kiss on Blaine's lips. "Love you. Thank you."

Blaine held his gaze. "Love you more. You can do this," he replied.

Kurt smirked, reaching out to run his index finger from Blaine's collar bone to the waistband of his swim suit. "That's what he said," he teased. He turned and willingly jumped in the deep end with both feet and began to swim towards his future.

* * *

Blaine sat on the wooden bench in the locker room, waiting nervously for Kurt to finish changing. Still under some of the restrictions of their punishment, he'd offered to drive home with Kurt so he could have dinner with the Hummels. Burt had agreed, as long as Kurt called him when they left Westerville so he would know when to expect them.

Staring at his hands, deep in thought, he didn't hear Kurt walk up. He did, however, notice the shoes. Glancing up, he grinned at Kurt. "You did good, babe. I'm proud of you." It made him feel good to see Kurt smile shyly, still learning how to be proud of his accomplishments. Standing, he offered his hand to Kurt, pulling the other boy towards the end of the row of lockers.

"Blaine?" Expecting his boyfriend to lead them out of the locker room, Kurt was confused when they were walking farther back into the room.

"Sshhh," said Blaine distractedly. "Trust me."

"Always," Kurt immediately.

When Blaine reached the last row of lockers, and had confirmed that they were the only two people in the locker room, he wrapped his arm around Kurt's waist, tugging him tight against his body. Brushing his lips against Kurt's, he backed them into the lockers, trapping Kurt's body between the cold metal and his warm body. "I've been wanting to do this for a while," he whispered.

They lost themselves in the soft slide of lips and tongues, for several minutes. Slow and heated, it was more about expressing love than rushing over a cliff of passion. It was the sound of the door opening that drew them apart. Foreheads pressed together, they strained to listen for approaching footsteps. Nothing.

"Okay, Blainers, I know you're still in here," came Nick's raised voice, startling them both. "We're leaving now, and I was asked to remind you that you've a dinner you need to get to. Kurt? Good luck tomorrow. Let us know how you do. And guys? The locker room? Really?"

Blaine pressed his lips together tightly, trying to hold back the laughter bubbling up inside him. Kurt shook his head, calling out, "Thanks, Nick."

"Be safe!" he tossed back, before walking out.

Capturing Kurt's lips once more, Blaine savored the feeling of being able to kiss his boyfriend. "Come on, handsome. We need to go before we get into more trouble. And, I need to ask you something." Taking Kurt's hand, he led them out into the summer evening.

"What's on your mind, Anderson?" asked a curious Kurt.

Blaine smiled shyly at Kurt as they walked along the sidewalk towards the Hummel residence. "Do you have plans for Labor Day weekend?"

Kurt shook his head in the negative. "No. I mean, I'm sure one of my friends will throw a barbeque or something, but I haven't made any commitments. Why?"

Blaine took a deep breath, trying to calm his nerves. Knowing that Kurt was going to agree to his plans didn't seem to make asking any easier. "I want to take you out. Officially. As your boyfriend. I'm going to talk to your dad about my plans to get his permission. If he says it's okay, then you'll be spending the night at Dalton. I just wanted to warn you so you could keep your calendar clear."

Kurt placed his hand on Blaine's arm, slowing them down. "_How_ clear?"

"Ideally?" Blaine commented before resuming their pace. "I'd come down Friday night, have dinner with you guys, spend the night at Jordan's and then come steal you away Saturday morning for the rest of the weekend, bring you home on Monday by dinner." He stopped again, looking at Kurt with apprehension. "I mean, _if_ your dad says it's okay and you agree to it," Blaine added.

Kurt grinned with excitement. "Sounds epic. I'm looking forward to it already," he said. "You'll need to give me some hints so I know what kinds of clothes to pack." His mind was racing at the possibilities. What pajamas would he bring? Would it be warm or cold? Would they be swimming at some point?

Blaine bumped Kurt's shoulder, winking at him. "Our diving team's motto is '_Go Big or Go Home_.' I thought it was good advice here, too," he explained with a laugh.

This time, Kurt did stop their walk, turning to face Blaine, his expression thoughtful. "Blaine? You know that spending time with _you_ is enough, right? I mean, I truly appreciate the effort you're putting in to planning the perfect first date. And I _know_ it's going to be fabulous. But you do know that it's **_you_** that makes it fabulous. We could sit on the couch watching movies all weekend and I'd be over the moon because I'd be there with you."

"God, _Hummel_," Blaine growled out. "When you say stuff like that, it just makes me want to kiss you. Hard." Blaine sighed loudly, frustrated that most of Ohio wasn't safe enough for him to do just that. "I _know_, Kurt. But you deserve this. _We_ deserve this. And I _will_ save your suggestion for a later date…sounds like a perfect winter time activity, if we throw in blankets and hot chocolate. Maybe a fire, too?"

Kurt blushed at the images that filled his head. "Yeah. Let's do that. Come on, Anderson, we really need to book it to my house. The sooner we get there, the sooner you can ask my dad. And if we offer to do the dishes together, I might even let you sneak a few kisses from me."

* * *

Dinner was delicious – a new recipe Carole had wanted to try out using her slow cooker.

It was at least forty minutes since Blaine and Kurt had offered to do the dishes. Dishes that consisted of one crock pot, plates, cups and utensils.

Watching television in the family room, Burt didn't even attempt to keep the smile from his face.

He'd told Blaine he'd have to give serious consideration to his request for Kurt to spend two nights at Dalton. And just as soon as they stopped kissing and came out to join him, Burt was going to tell them his answer was yes.

It was another twenty minutes before they got their answer.

* * *

**End Note:** _I sketched out the idea for this story back in July 2012 sitting poolside. Quite literally, I drew a stick figure picture for each chapter for what I imagined each chapter would be about. Truthfully, I never imagined the characters would leave the Lima pool. Originally, Blaine and Kurt weren't slated to kiss until Chapter Nine. Austin and Owen didn't exist, and neither did Nana Sterling. As I type this, Chapter Nine is slated to be the last chapter in this story arc. If that makes you a little sad, hopefully you will cheer up when I say I've already sketched out three additional one-shots that will continue in this 'verse - only a little later in the timeline. But if something I've written made you think, "Hmmm, I really wish I knew the background to 'that' or 'what really happened there?' I'd love to hear from you. Feel free to PM me. Thank you again! k8_


	10. Chapter Nine: Team Rocky Road

**A/N**: Thank you to those of you who are reading this story. I would also like to thank you for your patience while I wrote this chapter. I hope you are satisfied with the results. When I started writing this in February, I wanted to finish by the final episode of season four...I'm watching it right now while typing this author's note. Um, before anyone panics, when I say "finish" I mean that I mostly consider the story arc to be complete with this chapter. I have not forgotten about Blaine's promise of an epic first date...I will write Chapter 10...but life will be a tad busy between now and, say June 7th. I hate to make you wait that long, but if I promise lots of fluff and kisses and fun times...will that help?

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Glee or its characters. I have invited some of the boys to play and will do my best to return them unharmed. The title and chapter titles are selections from Edie Brickell's _What I Am_. This is an A/U set during the summer before Kurt and Blaine enter their senior years at McKinley and Dalton respectively. Blaine is a year older that Kurt and repeated 9th grade; Kurt never went to Dalton. Both boys are a bit more confident than is necessarily portrayed in the show (more like season 2 Blaine & season 3 Kurt). The rating is due to language. Thank you for reading! Enjoy!

* * *

_Chapter Nine: Team Rocky Road_

The morning sunlight came streaming through the kitchen window as Pete Sterling wordlessly handed his fiancé Rebecca a mug of coffee, sweetened and with a splash of milk. Accepting it with a nod of thanks, she wrapped her free hand around his waist, pulling him into an embrace. The last week had been difficult for a lot of people connected to them, but because Pete's heart was held by Rebecca and hers by him, he felt her pain and regret the most.

Dropping a soft kiss on to her forehead, he offered in a low voice, "Go sit at the table, Bec. I'll bring you some toast in a minute." He watched as she pulled away, not quite ever making eye contact with him, and slid soundlessly onto the kitchen table bench, to stare into her coffee, as if looking for answers to questions she hadn't yet voiced.

Frowning, Pete went about the motions of placing the bread in the toaster, pulling out the butter and raspberry jelly and a knife. It was after he'd laid out everything that he heard his grandmother pad into the kitchen she'd owned for nearly seventy years. She smiled at him, placed a dry kiss on his cheek and then moved over to the stove where she went about making her morning cup of English Breakfast tea.

There is something safe and comforting in routine. And Nana Sterling's routine of making a cup of tea and eating her bowl of Cheerios and sliced bananas was a constant reminder to Pete that life both moved on and remained the same. The routine was the same the morning after his grandfather had passed away, and on the day his brother David and his wife Ruth had brought Nana's first great-grandbaby into the world.

When he'd made Rebecca's toast, he brought it over and sat with her and his grandmother – watching them both eat. "I never realized how quiet the house was," he commented.

Nana set her spoon down in her cereal bowl and caught his eye. "You really haven't had the opportunity what with your schedule being what it is. But you're right. The boys leaving early certainly has left a vacuum," she said frankly. She placed a weathered hand over Rebecca's when she noticed her future granddaughter-in-law beginning to tear up.

Sitting across the table from both Pete and Rebecca, Nana looked at both of them. The guilt of what had happened was clearly written on both of their faces. "You both made mistakes. Both of you said things that you either didn't mean or were misconstrued. You can't change that – but you might be able to repair the relationships you've fractured – if you want to, and if you don't let it fester for too long." She sipped on her tea, giving time for her words to sink it.

She stood and took her cereal bowl to the sink and washed it out, leaving it in the drying rack for now. Leaning against the tile counter, she smiled kindly at the couple. "I give both of you credit for taking on the responsibility for supervising four teenage boys for the summer. And not just this summer. It's a difficult thing to raise teenagers when they are yours – and these boys aren't."

Pete sighed deeply. "Nana, things are worse than when the boys left." He ran a hand through his short strawberry blonde hair, shaking his head at the memories of Saturday's confrontation at Dalton.

"Oh, I know, my dear." Maggie Sterling raised an eyebrow at her oldest grandson.

Confused, Pete looked at his grandmother questioningly. "How would you know, Nana?"

She picked up the dish drying towel and threw it at Pete with exacerbation. "Because, my love, while you and David, and Aaron may have turned to your grandfather for advice, Jeffrey and Austin have always come to me." Watching as Pete folded the towel neatly, she continued, "Austin called me Saturday night. In tears. Because he has convinced himself that his oldest brother hates who he is." She crossed her arms, leaning a hip against the counter.

The chair he'd been sitting in flew backwards as Pete Sterling stood suddenly. "Nana! How could he think that? I love him." Pete knew that Austin had been upset when they'd left – and he had tried to call his youngest brother, but he hadn't picked up his cell phone, forcing Pete to leave three or four lengthy voice mail messages.

Nana came back around to sit at the table, motioning for Pete to sit back down. "I heard Austin's side of the story. Why don't you give me yours – and try to embellish a little bit beyond what you would write down in an official report, please," she asked gently, knowing how seriously Pete took his job and his role as an older brother.

After Pete had relayed his version of the events of Saturday, with a few additions from Rebecca, Nana folded her hands neatly in front of her and stared pointedly at her grandson. "I want you to put yourself in your brother's sneakers, Petey." Her use of his childhood nickname jolted him.

"Sure, okay," he said, leaning back in the chair, but maintaining his hold on Rebecca's hand.

"When you said that you and Rebecca, and your parents, wouldn't approve of Kurt and Blaine – what do you think he heard?"

Pete began to shake his head in frustration. "Nana, that's not what I meant," he blurted in a raised voice.

Nana held up her finger. "Peter Matthew, don't take that tone with me. You are frustrated with this situation – not with me, and I won't have you raising your voice."

"I'm sorry, Nana," he immediately apologized, dropping his head in embarrassment.

Tilting her head to the side, Nana returned to her questioning. "I asked you to put yourself in the size 12 sneakers of that beautiful boy who is all of fourteen years old. Do you remember that age, Petey?"

She paused for a moment, then continued. "When his oldest brother, who he has idolized since the day he was born, said that he and their parents wouldn't condone the behavior of his two friends – his two gay friends - what do you think he heard?" Honestly, with all her years of practice, Nana could be like a hungry dog gnawing at a bone. She wasn't going to let this go.

Pete stared at the ceiling, not liking the bitter taste in his mouth. "That we didn't condone their homosexuality. He thought the behavior I was talking about was tied to their being gay, not my issue that they were in a locked bedroom doing…whatever they were doing. But Nana, are you actually saying that I shouldn't have said something? Because you have always reinforced with us that certain behaviors weren't acceptable." Pete looked at his grandmother with open curiosity.

Nana laughed at Pete's weak attempt to steer this conversation back to something he was more comfortable discussing. "Pete Sterling. You are not a stupid child, but sometimes I wonder if your father wacked you upside your head one too many times as an infant when he was walking through doorframes. This is my house." She gestured around her with both hands. "Yes, I have rules and expectations that I make clear to everyone who comes over. But I am an old woman – and you all humor me because of it. It wasn't your place," she pointed at Pete, "to say anything to Austin or Blaine. If you had a concern, you should have told your parents. That's the difference between being a brother and being a father. You blurred the lines."

"Also, I would like to point out that I allow you and Rebecca to live here – in the same bedroom – without you having taken marriage vows. And please do not insult my intelligence and try to pretend that you are 'waiting until marriage' because we both know that isn't true. Old doesn't mean deaf and your calling the Lord's name rivals the most intense summertime church tent revival. You and I both know that your grandfather would have never allowed this. But he isn't here, and if I choose to bend the rules – I get to."

Both Pete and Rebecca flushed deeply at Nana's frank words. "Nana, I…we."

"Oh, shush," Nana cut Pete off. "Old also does not mean dead. Your grandfather and I enjoyed ourselves. It isn't something to be ashamed of. How do you think we had your father and his brothers?" She said smiling before becoming more serious.

"But this discussion isn't really about me and your grandfather, or even about you and Rebecca. It's about your relationship with your brother. What you said in front of Austin – cut him to the bone, for reasons of which I am fairly certain you are not even aware. If you don't fix this, Peter, Austin won't come to the wedding." She stopped at Pete's harsh intake of breath.

"Nana? It's that bad?" he asked hoarsely, close to tears.

"Yes. It is," she answered directly. "You can fix this, Peter. You can. But you are going to have to listen to what Austin tells you. You need to make sure he knows that you will always love and accept him – always. And it needs to be just the two of you, at least at first. Rebecca will be your wife in six weeks. She has been a part of Austin's life since he was six. But right now, he needs to know his older brother loves him unequivocally."

Pete wiped away the moisture from his eyes. "I do love him, Nana. I've tried calling him. He won't pick up and I don't know if he's listening to my voice mail messages."

"Well, Austin and I have a dinner scheduled for next Friday night. Jeffrey's girlfriend had offered to take me to Westerville. Perhaps you can drive all three of us," she offered politely.

Staring at the table for a long moment while a thousand thoughts ran through his head, Pete finally looked up at his grandmother. "That would be great, Nana. Thank you."

"You're welcome, love. I don't like it when my boys fight. Any of them. So…now that we have a plan of action for fixing that situation – shall we discuss how you two are going to fix things between you and Blaine and Nicholas."

* * *

"Oh my god, what is that delicious smell? Blaine Anderson, will you marry me?"

"Dude! Did you make cookies?"

"Wait, Blaine made cookies? Where are they? Can I have one, B?

Blaine rolled his eyes at the comedy team that were his roommates. Waving his hand towards the cooling racks, he said, "Be careful. They just came out of the oven – but yes, those are for us. The ones in the plastic container are for Kurt. And Nick, we've discussed this. If it weren't for the sex – and the fact that I'm in love with Kurt – and, well, the sexy times with Kurt – I would totally marry you. If you want more cookies, all you have to do is ask – or offer to do the dishes. Your offer of marriage, while appreciated, is a bit over the top."

"Oohmah hot hot hot," yelled Jeff, as he lunged for the refrigerator, flinging the door open and drinking milk straight from the container. "Fuck, B. Those were hot. Burnt the roof of my mouth," he explained, placing the milk back where he'd gotten it.

Blaine and Nick rolled their eyes together. "Right. Because Blainers here was unclear when he said they had just come out of the oven," snarked Nick. "Oh, and you owe the household more milk – because no one is drinking out of that one. I don't even want to think about where those lips have been, Sterling."

Jeff turned crimson and walked out of the room without further comment.

Austin watched his brother's exit and turned back to the other boys. "Before you ask, I don't know what that was about."

Nick chewed on his bottom lip. "Shit, I need to go talk to him."

Snagging the container filled with cookies, Blaine grabbed Austin's arm pulling him out of the kitchen, calling over his shoulder. "Fine. We'll be down in my car. You've got ten minutes to kiss and make up. After that, we're leaving. If you and Jeffy decide to have a bromantic night in, text me so we can take off."

* * *

Blaine turned on the engine to his car so they could run the air conditioning and the radio. Shucking off his sandals, Austin rested his feet on the dash. "When is Kurt's test?" he asked. He'd only paid attention to the information that if he wanted to go cheer on Kurt, he needed to be ready at 4:30.

"7:00. He asked for the last slot – hoping that fewer people would be hanging around if he did so."

Reaching to the side of the seat, Austin lowered the seat to a more comfortable position. "So he's still nervous?" he asked, looking over at Blaine.

Nodding, Blaine added, "I'm pretty sure he's actually terrified. But not in a '_I'm terrified of the water'_ way like he was in June, but in a '_This is really fucking important and I don't want to screw it up'_ sort of way. Not that makes any sense."

"No, B. I get it. _Really_. Just because I know that my family will love and support me no matter what, it doesn't make telling them I like boys any easier for me." Austin closed his eyes and rocked to the beat of the music.

"How _are_ things going?" Blaine asked.

Austin turned his head toward Blaine, but kept his eyes shut. "With _Owen_? Really great. With my _parents_? No change. With _Pete_?" Austin hesitated and began pushing down his cuticles with his thumb nails. "He's called a bunch of times. Left a couple messages. I deleted them," he replied sadly.

Blaine dropped a hand on Austin's wrist. "A. You _can't_ shut your brother out like this. Okay, let me start over. You _shouldn't_ shut your brother out like this."

"But after what he said-" Austin began.

Turning in his seat to face Austin, Blaine held up his finger. "Look, I'm not saying Pete was right. Because he wasn't. But you weren't in the room when he explained himself. We both, you and I, we both misconstrued what he said at first."

Wetting his lips with his tongue, Blaine tried to explain himself further. "_All_ I'm trying to say here is that you and Pete have a really good friendship on top of being brothers. Despite your age difference. There's ten years between Cooper and me. We've _never_ had what you and Pete have. And we _never_ will. I would just hate for you to throw that away," he finished quietly still holding on to Austin's wrist.

Twisting his hand, Austin intertwined their fingers and squeezed. "Thanks for telling me that, B. I think what I appreciate the most about our friendship is knowing you will always tell me honestly what I need to hear – not what I necessarily want to hear, but what I need to. Thanks for that." Then, because he _was_ a Sterling, he added, "And thanks for any and all future advice on sex, sexual technique, guys, blow jobs, boyfriends, and sex," he said, a wide grin splitting his face.

Bursting out with laughter, Blaine wrapped and arm around Austin's neck and pulled him close, running his knuckles over the freshman's head. "You think you're so funny, do you? I bet you've gone further than me. Maybe you should give me some advice, eh?" Blaine released Austin.

Austin made a face. "Probably. But it _means_ something, B. After everything went down last Saturday, we talked. Owen and I are on the same page. It _means_ something to him too. I just thought you should know. Since you kinda brought it up in the first place."

The last part of Austin's sentence came out just as Jeff and Nick threw open the car doors. "Um, what exactly did you _bring_ _up_, Anderson? And with my baby brother?" teased Jeff, sliding in to the car and shutting the door.

"The question of your sanity," Blaine sassed back.

Everyone laughed.

As they pulled out of the parking lot, Jeff leaned forward and reached out to squeeze his brother 's arm. "You know, A…I _wouldn't_ be upset if you found someone as awesome as Blaine to be with. I mean, I know Blaine's got Kurt. I just want you to know, that…_whoever_ you choose…if they make you happy, and treat you right…then I'll love _him_…or _her_…because _you_ do. And I _love_ _you_. Okay?" he asked quietly.

Austin couldn't help the tears that spilled down his cheeks. "'Kay. I love you, Jeffy," he rasped out, reaching his hand across himself to cover Jeff's hand. Blaine and Nick covered their hands in a show of silent love and support.

"Oooh," Blaine said loudly, pulling everyone away from their thoughts, "It's Pink. Turn it up, A."

Their drive to Lima was filled with the sounds of four voices harmonizing - four friends working together to create something none of them could on their own.

* * *

As much as he was trying, Kurt couldn't quite stop his hands from trembling while he was changing into his swim trunks and shirt. There was a strange mixture of emotion and nerves making its home in his stomach – and not just because he had some fairly traumatic memories of being in this locker room, thanks to Dave Karofsky. Grabbing up his towel and goggles, he shut his locker and made his way out onto the pool deck.

The smell of chlorine was even more overpowering given the indoor facilities. Making his way over to Mr. Jackson, the P.E. teacher and department chair who was supervising the proficiency tests, Kurt greeted him. "Hi Mr. Jackson. I have a 7:00pm appointment. Last name of Humm-"

"Hummel. You were in my class for two years. I know who you are, Kurt." Mr. Jackson smiled warmly at Kurt then looked down at his clipboard marking something down. "You're the last one to check in, so we can start your group now. Let's go talk to the others."

Mr. Jackson led Kurt over to a nearby bench where three boys and a girl were already sitting. "Okay, lady and gentlemen, let me explain how this will work. You'll start in the lap pool first. You will need to be able to swim up and back in three different strokes. You may take a short rest break between the different types of strokes but not during. As you can see, I have six members of the varsity swim team, all of whom are also certified life guards, who are helping keep you safe. They will not hesitate to pull you out if you get in trouble, although, given this is a lap pool – you could always just stand up." Even though he was clearly emphasizing the obvious, Mr. Jackson's tone was encouraging, as if he believed that all of them were perfectly capable of passing this test with flying colors.

He continued. "When you pass that portion of the exam, you will move on to the diving pool for the water treading portion. If you can't pass the swimming test, we don't move you on. Its…" he hesitated for a moment, "rather like your driving test. I assume most of you have taken that, yes?" Seeing five heads nodding, he said, "Well, this is like that, in that, if you fail the driving portion, the DMV doesn't have you continue with the parallel parking, right?" He laughed quietly with the students. "If…and I do mean if, that happens, then we can have a private conversation about what steps to take next."

Tilting his head to the side and then back, he asked, "Any last minute questions?" Seeing that there were none, he swept his clipboard out towards the lap pool. "Well, then, grab your goggles if you brought them. Pick any of the eight lanes, although I do believe Kurt, you should take lane one."

Kurt looked up from his hands, startled at being addressed directly. "Mr. Jackson?"

The P.E. teacher grinned at him. "Did you not notice your fan club, Kurt?" He jerked his head towards the stands where people would normally sit to watch a swim meet. "I have never, in twenty two years of teaching, seen such an outpouring of support," he commented quietly.

Staring in disbelief, Kurt felt his eyes well up with tears.

From the stands, the Dalton boys and company saw that Kurt had finally noticed them. Blaine, Austin, Nick, Jeff, Scott, and little Paulie Jacobs stood up, yanking off their t-shirts to reveal their painted chests which spelled out "GO KURT" as if they were at a major sporting event. Jordan, Tori, Meghan and Mrs. Jacobs sat two rows above the boys with poster boards reading "We heart you Kurt", "Swim for the win" and "Team Rocky Road!"

Wiping away the excess moisture, Kurt couldn't help but giggle nervously. As he approached lane one, he yelled out to his friends, "I question your sanity. Daily."

"You love us and you know it, Hummel," called Jeff excitedly.

Mr. Jackson, who had walked over with Kurt, asked, "Family, Kurt?"

Meeting his former teacher's eyes, he replied, "No, Mr. Jackson. Really amazing friends. They work at the pool where I learned to swim this summer. They… didn't tell me they were coming. I…I can't believe they did this," he said shyly.

Kurt felt Mr. Jackson's hand land on his shoulder. "Don't be embarrassed or nervous. I think it's awesome that they did this for you. It shows how much they care about you."

"I'm not…embarrassed. A little nervous. But, you're right. They care about me and have my back. I know, because they literally saved me from drowning no fewer than four times that I can think this summer. And, frankly, doing that once, when I was six, was enough for me." Kurt sat on the pool deck and hopped into lane one.

Mr. Jackson looked down at him, a serious expression on his face. "Did you just say you drowned? When you were six?" He asked incredulous.

Kurt nodded in affirmation. "Yes, Mr. Jackson. It's why I could never get in the pool during P.E. class. But Blaine – the brunet sporting the letter 'G'," Kurt pointed up at his boyfriend, "he…he helped me…get over my fear of the water. I can swim because of him. And the rest of that crazy crew. So, with all due respect, Mr. Jackson, I intend to kick this test's ass."

Loud laughter burst forth from the P.E. teacher. "Well, then, Kurt Hummel, let's get this show on the road. Good luck." He blew his whistle once, grabbing everyone's attention. "Okay, goggles on. Let's do this, people." With that, he blew the whistle again, signaling the start of the test.

* * *

Kurt began with the backstroke. Even with his ears in the water, he could hear the cheering of his friends echoing off the cement walls. He focused on swimming at a steady pace, one that he knew wouldn't use up so much energy that he ran out before his laps were complete. To help with this, and to calm his nerves, he allowed his mind to drift back over the events of the summer.

* * *

_Kurt couldn't pull his eyes away from the tanned, athletic men, one of whom was, in a quick practiced motion, climbing deftly out of the pool._

_"Hey, Bec. Jeff said you wanted me to meet someone?" The young man who looked to be the same age as Kurt walked over to the umbrella table and snatched a towel off of a chair._

_"These are the Hummels. Kurt needs some lessons. I recommended you," explained Rebecca. She nodded towards Burt before wandering off to supervise the pool set up._

_Blaine remained standing, gently wiping the droplets clinging to his head and chest with his towel. Once he finished, he tossed the towel on to the closest chair and held out his hand to Kurt._

_"Hi. I'm Blaine."_

* * *

Part of his mind stayed focused on swimming, noting when he went under the first set of flags and then the second. Another part stayed deep within the memories – the memories of how Blaine, without knowing anything of his history, worked to set him at ease when they first met.

* * *

_"Okay, random fact about Blaine Anderson -"_

_"Are these facts numbered? Should I take notes?"_

_Blaine blushed, and pushed Kurt's shoulder. "Shush. Yes, they are numbered and there will be a quiz. Anyway, as I was saying, Random Fact #13: I dream about food every night. I think I consume more calories in my sleep than I possibly could awake. I once had a dream where our swimming pool was completely filled with jelly beans."_

* * *

Reaching the end of the pool, Kurt turned around and began swimming back where he had started. It was true that Blaine dreamt about food every night. Every day since he'd made that blanket statement, Kurt managed to ask Blaine what he'd eaten in his dreams the night before. Last night it was popcorn with M&Ms.

When he reached the end of the pool, he stood up, leaned against the wall and took a couple of deep breaths.

Mr. Jackson stepped towards Kurt. "Good job so far, Kurt. What will you be swimming next?"

"Side stroke." He looked towards his friends who were all standing and clapping. It took a moment to realize that they were now cheering on the boy swimming in lane four. Glancing over, he realized that the boy was struggling, but still moving with determination down the first length of his swim.

"Come on, Lane Four! You can do it!" shouted Nick and Scott, while Blaine, Austin, Jeff and Paulie sat, stamping their feet on the metal bleachers to make them resonate loudly.

Kurt looked over his shoulder at Mr. Jackson. "Maybe I don't know them?" he teased, making a face.

"Too late. Your secret is out." Watching the swimmer they were currently cheering, Mr. Jackson observed, "I think they're actually helping." He shrugged and walked over to where another student was ready to begin their next lap.

Adjust his goggles, Kurt pushed off the wall and allowed the water to take hold of his body once again. He thought about the first time he recognized that the attraction he felt towards Blaine might actually be returned.

* * *

_"I'm clearly not an expert, Mr. Anderson, but I thought there was a rule about not swimming for at least an hour after eating?" he commented slyly._

_"Um, well, it kinda depends on the size of the meal and how vigorous the swimming is going to be. Why?"_

_Nodding to show he understood, Kurt reached up slowly to wipe the corner of Blaine's mouth with his thumb catching a dab of cream cheese. He stared in stunned silence as Blaine caught his hand and brought the cream cheese up to his lips, slowly licking it off with his warm tongue. Ohmygodohmygod._

_The ear-piercing sound of Nick's whistle split the air. Lap swim was over. So was their interlude._

_Both teens jerked back to reality. Blaine appeared to recognize what he'd done first. "Oh my god, Kurt. That was so-"_

_"Hot," exhaled Kurt._

_"-inappropriate," admitted Blaine._

* * *

Reaching the end of the pool yet again, Kurt turned, switched arms, and continued swimming the side stroke to the far side of the pool. From this position he could watch his friends cheering – especially Paulie Jacobs, who was running back and forth on the first bleacher, keeping pace with Kurt. The little boy, who'd been allowed to spike his hair for the occasion, sported his painted letter T all the way down his arms to his wrists. Kurt wondered if he had ever possessed that kind of energy and confidence when he was Paulie's age?

Considering that two of the major tragedies of his life hadn't occurred until he was older, Kurt thought it was possible. Losing his mother stripped away what little confidence he still had at age eight. Fighting hard, Kurt had managed to restore some of it – the rest was just his front of 'fake it 'til you make it'. Little by little, Blaine had developed Kurt's confidence. When Kurt panicked, Blaine never made him feel like he couldn't do this. Blaine's confidence in Kurt's ability had eventually taken root, and Kurt found himself believing that he could actually, maybe, pass this swim proficiency test after all. But it had taken getting in to a near fight with Blaine for Kurt to realize how much he actually did trust Blaine.

* * *

_"Do you have any idea how hard it is to do this? Of course not. You've been swimming since you were four. I'm so frustrated, Blaine. I've spent the last ten years hiding the fact that I can't swim to all of my friends, only to be forced to do this by some archaic rule so I can earn my damn high school diploma. And I come here and meet you in all your amazing swimming glory, all tanned and athletic and perfect. You – all of you – make this look so fucking easy; but it's not. Not for me, anyway. And I get more frustrated, because you give perfectly clear and simple directions on what to do. But I either can't do them, or my body freaks out. And here I am, in tears, again. How fucking pathetic is that?" Kurt was half shouting, half sobbing at this point._

_"It's not pathetic, Kur-"_

_"It __**is**__ pathetic, Blaine. I'm 17. I can't swim. And I'm so fucking scared of what you're asking me to do that I cry. I think I've embarrassed myself enough for one day, Blaine." With that said, Kurt tried to climb out, but was stopped by Blaine who pulled his wrist hard enough to yank him off of the ladder._

_"Come here!" There was no mistaking the command in Blaine's voice. He dropped his hand from Kurt's wrist to his hand and carefully but deliberately intertwined their fingers, all while pulling Kurt to him._

* * *

He hadn't expected to make friends at the pool, let alone to walk away with three close friends and a boyfriend. Finishing his second lap, Kurt stood up again and pulled his goggles away from his face, so they could rest on the top of his head. Breathing deeply to settle his heartbeat, he waited for Mr. Jackson to finish with the other students. "Freestyle, Mr. Jackson," he called out in anticipation of the inevitable question.

"Gotcha, Kurt. When you're ready," came the quick reply.

Squeezing the excess water from his hair, Kurt called out, "I think I'll take another minute first." Kurt figured he could make the last lap without taking a break, but he'd rather rest a bit before – so he had more energy for the tread test. He waved at his crazy friends who were all still cheering on the kid in lane four. The girl had already finished and was sitting on the wooden bench, towel wrapped tightly around her. The other two boys seemed to be somewhere at the end of the second lap or beginning of the third – but lane four was barely halfway down the lane on clearly just his second lap.

He caught Blaine's eye and smiled shyly when his boyfriend made a heart shape with his hands, holding it over his chest. Kurt nodded once to let him know he'd seen it and then moved the goggles back in to place. Pushing off the wall, Kurt fell into the rhythm of the freestyle stroke. One. Two. Three. Breathe. One. Two. Three. Breathe.

* * *

_Blaine tightened his grip on Kurt's hand. "Kurt…we have a connection. I mean, yeah, I have friends. Really good friends who I love dearly. Nick and I are as close as I think two people can be – but even we don't have what __**we**__ have. At least, what I think we have." Blaine stopped. He looked down at their hands clasped together. "I'm not just making this up in my head, am I? You feel it too, don't you?" Blaine asked anxiously._

_Kurt eyes popped open. Leaning closer, he brushed their cheeks together. "Yeah, I do," he whispered into Blaine's ear._

_Blaine inhaled as Kurt's warm breath played across cheek. "Then you should know that I am planning on going out with you. A lot. For as long as you keep saying yes." Blaine turned his head so his lips brushed against the soft skin of Kurt's cheek. Reluctantly, Blaine pulled back. "You're adorable when you blush."_

* * *

"GO KURT!"

"COME ON HUMMEL! YOU'RE ALMOST THERE!"

"KUUUUUUUUUUUUUURRT!"

The echoing calls of the 'Kurt Hummel Fan Club' were almost deafening. The yelling and stomping made the McKinley lifeguards turn and stare. Mr. Jackson couldn't keep the smile from his face. They even succeeded in pulling Kurt from his memories. It so startled him that he stopped, standing up about twenty feet from the end of the swim lane. He shook his head in confusion as the noise level dropped off.

"Oh, shit!" whispered Jeff. "Does this mean he fails?" he asked Blaine, tightly squeezing his shoulder.

"Ow! Dammit, Sterling, leave some feeling, okay? I don't know. I don't understand what happened," Blaine replied.

Kurt looked from his friends to Mr. Jackson. Stopping mid-lap was grounds for a failing grade on the test. He hadn't meant to stop; he just didn't understand what the noise was. "Mr. Jackson?" he called out in the silence.

The teacher waved at Kurt to continue swimming. "Come on, Hummel. Finish up! Or are you quitting on me?" he asked in a teasing tone.

"No, sir." Taking another breathe, Kurt dropped back into the water and finished the last few feet of the test. Touching the wall, Kurt stood up and ripped his goggles off of his face. Climbing out of the pool, Kurt grabbed his towel off of the bench and approached Mr. Jackson. "Mr. Jackson?" he called out timidly.

Watching the two boys still in the pool, he answered without looking at Kurt. "You passed that portion of the test, Kurt. I'm not gonna fail you because you stopped with four strokes to go. Besides, I wouldn't want to face that crowd outside if I failed you on a technicality. Take a break. When these guys finish up, I'll call you over for the tread test."

"Thanks, Mr. Jackson," Kurt answered with sincerity.

Walking over to the bleachers, Kurt was immediately greeted by Paulie Jacobs who, without warning, leaped from the second bleacher into Kurt's arms possessing all the faith of a five-year old that he'd be caught by someone he trusted. Grateful he'd been paying attention, Kurt returned the little boy's hug. "Paulie, I'm dripping wet."

Paulie pushed away from Kurt's shoulder so he could bring their foreheads together. "I'll dry, Kurt. Are you done? Did you pass? 'Cause when you pass, Mama is taking everyone to Farrell's for ice cream. She said I could have rocky road to celebrate and I loooooove rocky road ice cream, Kurt. And I get to stay up past my bedtime, because we're having a celebration. You haven't been at the pool, Kurt. I missed you. And I missed Mr. Blaine. Daphne and I don't really like the new teachers. They're okay, but they don't know the songs like Mr. Blaine and Ms. Meghan. But Ms. Jordan told Mama that you had your test today, so we decided to come cheer you on. Did you see me? Did you like my letter T? Mr. Blaine and Mr. Scott said that it was the best choice for me, because I could use my whole, entire body to make the T."

Paulie must have needed to take a breath because he stopped for a moment before leaning to Kurt's ear. "Are you going to ask Blaine to be your boyfriend?"

Kurt could feel himself blushing at the little boy's question. "Paulie, can you keep a secret for a little bit longer, until I pass my treading test and we're at Farrell's?" he asked quietly.

With big eyes, Paulie nodded solemnly, miming with his hands the locking of his lips and throwing the imaginary key over his shoulder.

Kurt giggled. "Blaine already asked me. I said yes," he whispered.

Paulie threw himself back at Kurt, hugging him tightly before letting go and clim bing up to his mother.

Nick and Jeff climbed down with Blaine, all three giving Kurt careful hugs after Nick pointed out that Paulie had left much of his paint on Kurt's chest. "We're so proud of you," Nick said, messing up Kurt's hair before leaving so Kurt and Blaine could talk more privately.

Separated by the metal fencing that came up to their waists, Blaine quietly dropped his hand onto Kurt's. "How do you feel, handsome? You've looked great out there."

Jeff shoved Blaine with his hip. "Dude, you think Kurt looks great every day," he teased in a low voice, perfectly aware of how unaccepting the students at public school could be of anyone perceived as different.

Shooting his friend a death look, Blaine commented, "How about you go show your girlfriend what it means to date a dapper private school guy? I mean, some of the guys on the pool deck look like they've been checking her out. Just sayin'. Don't waste the opportunity to show them she's with you."

Jeff offered a generic glare towards the McKinley students before stalking up to Jordan. Sitting next to her, he wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her closer, and dropped a soft kiss onto her lips. Seeing the boy in lane four was still swimming, he smiled widely. "COME ON, LANE FOUR! YOU CAN DO IT!"

It was nearly impossible for the rest of the teenagers in the pool area to not catch Jeff's enthusiasm. Everyone began cheering and clapping for the boy who, while slow, was steadily making his way down the pool on his third lap.

Knowing that no one would overhear, Blaine leaned forward. "What's your game plan for the tread test?" He was surprised by the pink tinge that appeared on Kurt's face. "And your game plan makes you blush, why?" he asked with amusement.

"I've been thinking of the summer. Of us. To distract myself. Or help me focus. Whichever you want to pick." Kurt looked over his shoulder to see how long before the boy in the fourth lane finished, then turned back to Blaine. "Will you…can you guys keep time for me? I don't know if Mr. Jackson will, but he seems to love you –so if you could tell me how much time I have left..." Kurt's voice petered out.

Blaine could feel Kurt's hand begin to tremble under his own. Squeezing gently, Blaine brought Kurt's attention back to him. "Hey, now. Of course we'll do that for you. Just focus on this: You tread water for five minutes and you've passed this test. You've beaten your demons. We get to celebrate with our friends at the ice cream parlor. And since Dalton isn't in session until next week, we don't have leave Lima until 11:30pm to make curfew. That leaves us about two hours to celebrate on our own." Blaine winked at Kurt, knowing how excited his boyfriend would be at this news.

"I can't believe you guys drove all the way out here for me. Blaine…thank you. I love you."

Smiling happily, Blaine answered without hesitation. "I love you, too. Go kick some ass, Kurt Hummel. Because your boyfriend can't wait to celebrate by kissing every inch of your body that you'll allow him to."

"Sounds like a plan, Anderson. I'll hold you to it. Or…hold you to me." With a wink, Kurt left to go wait with the other students for the last portion of the swim proficiency test.

* * *

Parking his car on the side of the street, Kurt cut the engine and sat in the darkness with Blaine, looking up at Nana Sterling's house. Without really looking, Kurt reached his hand over to Blaine's, squeezing their hands together, then linking only their pinkies.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Blaine asked quietly.

Kurt inhaled deeply, letting it out slowly. "Yeah, Blaine. I'm sure."

Even in the darkness, Blaine could see Kurt chewing on his lower lip. "Hey, handsome. Stop that." He lifted a finger up to free Kurt's lip, then placed his hand on the back of Kurt's neck, pulling him in for a slow kiss. " . I really like being able to do that," he said in a low voice, lips drifting down Kurt's neck.

Letting out a breathy laugh, Kurt pushed Blaine away. "I really like you being able to do that too, Anderson. But keep that up and Nana will be out here with a garden hose."

Blaine couldn't contain his laughter. "That sounds exactly like something she would do." Unbuckling his seat belt, Blaine exited the car, reaching back in for the bouquet of flowers they'd purchased for Nana. Kurt met him at the front of the car with another bouquet and a card for Rebecca. His boyfriend blew his mind. On their way home from the ice cream parlor, Kurt had insisted on stopping at the market.

_"I don't condone the way she handled things, Blaine. I'm not saying that we should forgive and forget. But I do know that if it weren't for Rebecca, we wouldn't have met. I wouldn't have passed my test. I owe her a sincere thank you for both of those things," he'd explained before sashaying into the market to pick out the flowers._

Climbing the steps to the house, Blaine rang the doorbell. He could see from the lack of cars, that Pete and Rebecca weren't at home – which was just fine with him. He wasn't sure when he'd be ready to actually meet Pete or Becca face to face. But Blaine missed Nana. More than he realized he would.

It took a few long moments, but finally they heard Nana call from the other side of the door, "Who's there? If you're selling something, I'm not buying."

Smiling, Blaine replied, "Nana? It's Blaine and Kurt. We came by to say hello." He could hear the locks being unbolted, and then the grey haired woman appeared with a grin on her face.

"Blaine Anderson and Kurt Hummel. Come in boys. I'm so very happy to see you both. What brings you by this late at night? Would you like some tea?" She pulled the door open, gesturing for them to come inside.

"We brought you flowers, Nana. To say thank you," Blaine set the vase with pink roses and stargazer lilies in the center of the kitchen table before taking a seat.

Kurt placed the second vase on the counter, before waving the elderly woman to sit at the table. "I'll get the tea, Nana. Go sit," he insisted, already familiar with where things were from his few brief visits to the home.

Maggie Sterling sat across from Blaine and took his hand in hers. "There's no need to say thank you, Blaine Anderson. It is truly my pleasure to have you live here during the summers. You will always – always – have a place here, as long as there is breath in this body."

His throat tight, Blaine rose from his chair and walked around the table to embrace Jeff's grandmother. "Thank you, Nana. You never make me feel like I'm anything less than another grandson…that I'm family, too." He started sniffling as the emotions became too difficult to contain. "I miss my family, Nana. I miss you." Standing up, he worked at wiping away the tears from his eyes.

Hurrying over with three mugs of tea, Kurt set them gently on the table before taking Blaine in his arms. They lost themselves for several long moments, drawing comfort from each other. Finally, Kurt placed once last kiss on Blaine's temple and sat at the table again. Blaine moved to sit across from Kurt and Nana.

Cocking her head to the side, Nana smirked at the two boys. "So, Blaine Anderson…have you asked Mr. Hummel to be your beau?"

Blaine could feel his cheeks flush. "Yes, ma'am. I actually asked him after…after the fight we had. But we didn't really tell anyone because Kurt still needed to pass his swim test. He passed tonight. So it's official." He picked up the cup of tea nearest him and took a brief sip followed by a longer one.

"I'm happy to hear that, boys." Nana drank from her own mug before looking at Kurt. "The other flowers, Kurt?"

Startled away from gazing at his boyfriend, Kurt had to think for a moment. "Oh. Those are for Rebecca. I wanted to let her know that I'm grateful for her help this summer." Kurt shrugged, unsure what else to say.

"Blaine Anderson, you picked well with this one," Nana observed. "Such a thoughtful gentleman. I knew I liked you from the moment I met you, Kurt." She sipped her tea, then added, "And you make an excellent cup of tea as well." She stared pointedly at Blaine. "You let this one slip through your fingers, Blaine Anderson, and it will be the biggest regret of your life. But I think you already know that, don't you."

Blaine looked up at Nana, giving a shy smile. "Neither you nor my mother raised me to be a fool."

Reaching across the table, Blaine held on to Kurt's hand as they talked on through the evening.

* * *

_Rebecca,_

_When my father dragged me into your pool office in June, I had no idea how much my life was about to change. I had spent eleven years avoiding the water – and the idea of swimming terrified me. You held my hand, literally, that day, encouraging me to take private lessons – from a lifeguard named Blaine._

_I don't think any of us (You, Me, or Blaine) had any clue how our summer would end on that first day. I want you to know that Blaine was (and is) everything I needed. Blaine's patience and encouragement made me feel safe, and secure, and confident enough to face my fears. You all helped me through my panic attacks and protected me the day I was assaulted in the locker room. The friendship and camaraderie that existed at the pool was due, in no small part, to your leadership._

_I wanted to let you know how much I appreciate everything you did for me this summer. Last night, I passed my swim proficiency test. You were a part of that – and because you were, I will now be able to earn my diploma. Thank you._

_Blaine and I had a long talk with Nana when we came over to drop off the flowers. I think I have a better understanding of things having talked with her. My dad tells me that the difference between a mistake and a learning experience is: you keep making mistakes, until you learn from them. Then it becomes a learning experience. We all made mistakes over the past two weeks – ones that we can't undo. However, maybe instead of being mistakes – we can choose to make them learning experiences, and move on. I know that is what I am planning on doing. Holding on to grudges takes too much time and energy. Frankly, I plan on remembering all the hundreds of ways you (and Pete and Nana and everyone) spent the summer helping me with my summer project._

_I wish you and Pete all the best for your wedding and your life together._

_Thank you again,_

_Kurt E. Hummel._


	11. Author's Message

Hi to the followers of Shove Me Into Shallow Waters. Hope this note finds you well. Just wanted to let you know I have posted the prologue to the sequel I have started to this story. It's entitled, Shove Me Harder. Thanks! -k8


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